Two double shield TBMs for Saudi Arabia’s Trojena project have arrived at the Port of Neom.
The two Herrenknecht TBMs will excavate two 3.8km-long tunnels to create the world’s steepest TBM-driven funicular railway.
The so-called “time travel tunnels” will transport people from the Mirage Visitor Centre to Trojena’s vertical city, the Vault. It will be Saudi Arabia’s first funicular rail system.
The 235m-long machines have an 8m diameter and each weighs 2,000 tonnes.
A joint venture of Turkish companies Limak Holding and Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting Company are responsible for the tunnelling and excavation work for the project.
Trojena is a resort under construction on the mountain of Jebel al Lawz up to 2,600m meters above sea level.
In May a breakthrough was achieved at Trojena’s B3 Tunnel east portal. The 680m-long tunnel, located on the north side of Trojena’s lake, connects the Lake Access Road to the Vault. Over 90,000m3 of material was excavated using 58.5 tons of explosives across more than 130 blasts.
The work was carried out by Webuild, earthwork subcontractor Source Machinery, and tunnelling specialist OSSA.
