The first Herrenknecht TBM for Munich’s second core S-Bahn route has passed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT).
The ARGE Tunnel Hauptbahnhof consortium, comprising Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG Firmengruppe Max Bögl, Züblin and Bauer Group, will deploy the TBM to excavate an exploratory tunnel for the S-Bahn expansion.
The 5m-diameter mixshield machine is 178m long and weighs approximately 700 tons. It was designed for the challenging geology and urban environment of Munich’s city centre where it will prepare the ground for the main construction phases ahead. It will work more than 40m below the groundwater table and in close proximity to existing S-Bahn and subway lines.
The Munich S-Bahn is 434km long with 150 stations and is one of Germany’s largest suburban rail networks.
To reduce pressure on the existing core line, two new tracks will be built parallel to it along the 10km stretch from Laim in the west of the city and Leuchtenbergring in the east.
The line will have three new underground stations: Hauptbahnhof, Marienhof, and Ostbahnhof.
The core of the new connection is a 7km tunnel linking Munich’s main station Hauptbahnhof with the eastern hub Ostbahnhof
The ARGE Tunnel Hauptbahnhof consortium’s contract includes work on the western above-ground section from Laim to Donnersberger Brücke, and the Hauptbahnhof, including the tunnel section from Donnersberger Brücke to Marienhof, as well as four inner city rescue shafts with connecting structures.
