The first of eight TBMs, Phyllis, is currently tunnelling under Hyde Park after completing her 1000th tunnel ring and has now constructed 1800m of tunnel from Royal Oak via the Paddington station box, Crossrail announced yesterday.
Meanwhile, Crossrail has announced that its second machine, Ada, has travelled 800m and has entered the station box at Paddington after passing under the national rail lines into Paddington station. A total of 12,000 concrete segments have now been used to construct the western tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon.
“Crossrail continues to make good progress in central London,” said Keith Sibley, Crossrail area director west. “Our first tunnel boring machine, Phyllis, is currently under Hyde Park and will arrive at Bond Street in early 2013. Construction of the new stations at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Paddington is advancing with the progress becoming increasingly visible. From 2018, 24 trains an hour will pass through these stations during peak hours bringing an extra 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of Paddington and the West End.”