A third tunnel boring machine (TBM) has begun drilling the North West Rail Link from Cherrybrook to Epping.
The TBM, nicknamed Isabelle, was today given the go ahead to start its six kilometre journey by four-year-old Isabelle Andersen, after whom it is named. She was with Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian at the future Cherrybrook station for the launch.
Isabelle, who attends a local childcare centre, is the daughter of the construction director Grant Andersen, who is representing the 900 workers who will deliver the twin 15 kilometre tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping.
READ MORE: Click here to read more about Isabelle.
‘‘It’s a long standing tradition that the tunnel boring machines are named after a female,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.
It will join the other two TBMs currently drilling from Bella Vista, named Elizabeth and Florence.
‘‘The first two we decided to name them after women who made a great contribution to Sydney. The third . . . we left up to the workers,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.
On average, Isabelle will drill between 120 to 140 metres a week. Tunnelling is expected to finish in 2017.
Construction on the $8.3 billion rail link is ahead of schedule. It was previously expected that only one TBM would be in the ground at this stage of the project.
Ms Berejiklian said the speed of the construction, as well as good weather, had attributed to the project being ahead of schedule.
‘‘Today’s a reminder of the contribution that the workers have made,’’ she said.
The fourth and final TBM is expected to start drill later this year.
VIDEO: Click on the arrow below to view a time lapse video of construction taking place at the future Cherrybrook train station.
‘‘The North West Rail Link is the first transport infrastructure project in Australian history to use four tunnel boring machines at once,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.
Elizabeth, the first TBM, began digging from Bella Vista to Cherrybrook on September 8 and has now dug over 700 metres.
It is expected construction on the rail link would be completed in 2019.