NEWS |


London’s Kingsway tunnels to open to the public


Terratec rock EPBM set


for Delhi metro INDIA – A new 6.61m diameter Terratec rock earth pressure balance TBM has passed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System Project. The event was attended by


representatives of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) and J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, the contractor for Phase IV, Contract DC-08. The TBM (reference number S111 and


named ‘Narayani’) will construct 6.1km- long twin tunnels for the Silver Line as part of the 65.1km-long Delhi Metro Phase 4 project’s Package DC-08, between Aerocity and Kishangarh stations. Terratec has already delivered three


Above: The underground project will bring to life the Cold War history of the London tunnels PHOTO CREDIT: DBOX


UK – Tunnels built to shelter Londoners during the Blitz and later used during the Cold War era are to be restored and opened to the public for the first time. London Tunnels, a group of


investment specialists, will submit a planning application for the project in November. The project team includes architectural practice WilkinsonEyre and consultancy WSP. The Kingsway Exchange Tunnels


in central London are 7.6m in diameter and cover an area of 8,000m2


. After the Second World War the


tunnels were home to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an offshoot of UK intelligence agency MI6, and the real-life location that inspired ‘Q Branch’ in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, where the author was the Admiralty’s liaison officer. At the start of the Cold War the


government enlarged the tunnels to serve as a secure and secret long-distance telephone exchange. The site operated the first Transatlantic telephone cable, TAT1, which was later the ‘hotline’ between Moscow and Washington during the Cuban Missile Crisis.


8 | January 2024


Much of the original equipment will be retained. When in operation, the Kingsway


Exchange accommodated up to 200 staff, supported by self-contained water and air conditioning systems, along with the “deepest licensed bar” in London, a restaurant with mock windows and a recreational room with snooker tables. By the late 1980s, telecommunication technology had advanced and the tunnels’ telephone centre became obsolete and was decommissioned. London Tunnels has undertaken


detailed digital mapping to capture the site as it was left when it was last occupied in the late 20th century. Subject to planning approval,


the vision is to bring to life the history of the tunnels by installing high-resolution large-scale curved immersive screens, together with interactive structures, scent- emitting technology and hundreds of individual acoustic pinpoint speakers. With an operational capacity of


two million visitors per year, the tunnels could also host different experiences in partnership with major entertainment businesses, artists, performers and curators.


TBMs for the project. The machines include both new and refurbished EPBMs to construct the 23.62km-long, 5.7m-wide Silver Line tunnel, connecting Aerocity to Tughlakabad via 16 stations. The anticipated launch point for the


latest TBM (S111) is the Aerocity shaft, while the previously launched TBMs (S63B and S64B), have already commenced operations from the Kishangarh shaft. The latest TBM, ‘Narayani’, was


manufactured in India with key components from abroad. The EPBM has a robust mixed-face dome-style cutterhead designed for the expected mixed geology, including quartzite, sandy silt and rocks. As the TBM progresses, it will erect 1,400mm-wide by 275mm-thick universal reinforced concrete lining rings (5+1). Electric locomotives will be used for muck removal, segment transport and supply of consumables.


Sydney’s Beaches Link tunnel project axed AUSTRALIA – The Government of New South Wales has cancelled the proposed Beaches Link tunnel project. Beaches Link project was to have been a


new motorway, including a 7km toll tunnel, providing better connections between Sydney’s northern beaches and the rest of the city. The project was planned to connect


with the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway upgrade, which are under construction. The Western Harbour Tunnel is a new Sydney Harbour crossing, designed to ease pressure on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The six-year Beaches Link project was initially due to start this year


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