NEWS |


Pre-qual for Tel Aviv metro ISRAEL - NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd has launched the pre- qualification phase for the first stage of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Metro Programme. The state-owned company is


responsible for the development of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Mass Transit System, which comprises three mostly underground metro lines approximately 150km long and 109 stations. Stage one, which involves 76km


of tunnels and 59 stations, will be divided into 11 packages. The NTA is seeking organisations with experience and capabilities in the construction of bored tunnels in urban environments, and in the design and construction of underground structures using cut and cover and traditional tunnelling methods. It is expected that four of the 11 Infra #1 Work Packages will include the design and construction of underground stations and/or crossovers using traditional sequential tunnelling methods. Requests for clarifications will be accepted up to 5 March 2026, and the deadline for pre- qualification submissions is 29 April 2026. The pre-qualification documents are available on the NTA’s website.


Singapore strengthening works on Circle Line SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is carrying out strengthening works with steel plates on two parts of the Circle Line to deal with tunnel squatting following long-term monitoring. The sections of tunnel, connecting


Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations, will be closed one at a time for the works. For the strengthening work, steel plates


will be installed along the circumference of the affected tunnel segments. LTA said it has studied best practices in Shanghai, Taipei, Busan, Barcelona and Lisbon where similar engineering challenges were encountered. The phenomenon is caused by the soft


marine clay that some stretches of Circle Line tunnels are built in and LTA has been monitoring the issue for the past decade. It has identified three localised sectors of


the Circle Line tunnels between Stadium and Paya Lebar stations that are more affected by tunnel squatting. If not addressed, the tunnel squatting could lead to disruptions in train operations and structural defects in the tunnel over the long-term. LTA said that consultants confirmed that


train operations would be able to continue safely in the affected tunnels while the


8 | February 2026


stretches of metro tunnel are strengthened. The local, affected locations are a total of 450m of metro tunnel. The LTA says of the international studies


that, in some of these countries looked at full-scale tunnel segments loading tests have been conducted to establish the conditions for tunnel safety to be maintained against long-term tunnel squatting.


BART extension goes for large single bore US - A single large-diameter bored tunnel has been selected to excavate the BART Silicon Valley Phase II project, following a peer review by tunnelling and transit experts. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation


Authority (VTA) was briefed on the peer review and voted on its recommendation for the single bore, which is seen as the most viable for constructability, feasibility, and overall risk management. BART Silicon Valley Phase II project is


the largest public infrastructure project in Santa Clara County. The alternative of using two TBMs would bring more disruption to downtown. The alternative would need cut- and-cover excavations. The project is a 10km-long extension with


four stations. It is to link Berryessa/North San José Station through downtown San Jose to the city of Santa Clara. It includes approximately 8km of subway. The strategic decision to pick the large-


diameter single tunnel bore allows the project to see design to advance towards 60%, stay on a critical path, and help to meet the proposed revenue service date.


Bulgaria-North Macedonia tunnel agreement BULGARIA - The European Commission (EC) recently welcomed the signing of the Corridor 8 cross-border rail tunnel project plan between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The project agreement, signed at a


ceremony at Gyueshevo Railway Station, at the border, covers the preparation, construction and operation of the 2.4km- long cross-border rail tunnel. The EC is providing financial support for


the tunnel, which will be located between Gyueshevo, in Bulgaria, and Deve Bair in North Macedonia. Funding is being given as the project is located in part of Europe’s expanding strategic rail network - the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The network is being developed in ‘Corridor’ routes. Corridor 8 connects the Adriatic Sea with the Black Sea through Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria.


TBM finish on Chongqing- Xiamen rail project CHINA - TBM ‘Yangtze River’ recently broke through on the Chongqing Caiyuanba Yangtze River Railway Tunnel of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway project. The 12.61m-diameter Herrenknecht


Mixshield TBM, operated by the China Railway 14th Bureau project team, excavated 11.94km of tunnel with the machine. The drive faced various challenges


along the tunnel alignment, including high water pressure, complex geology, and buildings in Chongqing. The tunnel passes through a mountain comprising karst, a fracture zone, a coal seam gas area, and crosses the Yuzhong Peninsula and the South Bank area. Where it passes under the


approximately 42m-deep main channel of the Yangtze River, the tunnel has a minimum overburden of about 10m, and a maximum water pressure of 9 bar.


Eglinton Crosstown LRT nears completion CANADA - Crosslinx Transit Solutions has reached substantial completion on Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit project, more than half of which runs underground. Crosslinx, comprising Aecon, ACS


Infrastructure Canada, EllisDon and AtkinsRéalis, recently transferred full operational control of the 19km-long, 25-stop LRT line following successful completion of the 30-day Revenue Service Demonstration period. The operator will now determine an opening date. More than 10km of the 19km line runs underground. Extending from Kennedy Station in the


east to Mount Dennis Station in the west, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT connects with other transit services across midtown Toronto, including three subway stations and GO lines, the UP Express, and 54 bus routes.


Bucharest metro progress ROMANIA - Steady progress is being made on the Magistrala 6 Metro Project (M6) in Bucharest, where a Terratec EPB TBM has been advancing through challenging sandy ground. The TBM was launched in the South Section: 1 Mai – Tokyo contract in April 2025 and since the installation of the belt conveyor system has achieved a consistent advance rate of around 14m per day. Terratec says the alignment presents


complex geological challenges, with abrasive sandy soils and sections that pass beneath Herăstrău Lake.


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