NEWS |


Grand Paris Express sees TBM set for Line 15 West


LTA awards Downtown Line 2 extension contract SINGAPORE - Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the first civil contract for the Downtown Line 2 extension (DTL2e), which includes three tunnels. The S$326m (US$253m) contract,


awarded to a JV of Woh Hup Engineering and Underground Technology Engineering Construction, is for the design and construction of two mainline tunnels and a tunnel connection to Gali Batu Depot. Each tunnel will be around 1km long


and at depths of up to 21m. They will be built close to the North-South Line (NSL) and existing infrastructure. Additionally, a cut and cover tunnel will be built at Gali Batu Depot. Construction start is scheduled for Q2-2026 and passenger service is targeted to commence in 2035.


The refurbished TBM will excavate 7km of tunnel for Grand Paris’ Line 15 West, Lot 2 PHOTO CREDIT: Webuild


ITALY, FRANCE - NGE and Webuild recently celebrated the factory acceptance test (FAT) of the refurbished TBM to be used on Line 15 West, Lot 2, of the Grand Paris Express. The refurbished CREG TBM that


will excavate 7km of tunnel for Lot 2 of Line 15 West of the Grand Paris Express is ready to start work. The TBM was refurbished by WEM


(Webuild Equipment & Machinery) and is to be deployed by NGE and Webuild to build the tunnel linking the Bécon-les-Bruyères station to the Saint-Denis–Pleyel hub. The two partners previously used


the machine for tunnelling on Grand Paris Express’s Line 16, Lot 2. The TBM finished boring in March 2024, said Webuild. The machine is more than 100m


long and has a cutting diameter of 9.86m. The project includes the installation of approximately 23,000 segments, 79% of which will be made of fibre-reinforced concrete, and the excavation of around 500,000m3 of excavated materials, 80% of which will be reused. Excavated materials will be


transported by river to disposal and reuse sites, avoiding the equivalent of 64,000 lorry movements on local roads. Webuild says the use of fibre-reinforced concrete segments


6 | March 2026


cuts the amount of steel required by half, and enhances strength and long-term durability. The tunnel will be constructed


in two parts. The first section of 1.2km length is to be built between the Les Caboeufs service tunnel at Gennevilliers and the Finot service tunnel at Saint-Ouen; and, the second, 5.8km-long section will restart from the Les Caboeufs and head to Courbevoie, where the TBM will end its drive at the Parc des Bruyères service tunnel. The Grand Paris Express, delivered


on behalf of Société des Grands Projets, is Europe’s largest transport and urban development programme. Lot 2, known as ‘M2 West’,


forms part of the future Line 15, which will be the longest metro line in France. Line 15 will serve 45 municipalities across four administrative districts in the Paris region. Most of its stations will be connected to the existing transport network, including commuter rail, regional express services, metro lines, trams and buses. Line 15 Lot 2 is the third


collaboration for NGE and Webuild on the Grand Paris Express. They have already delivered the southern extension of Metro Line 14 to Orly Airport (4.1km of tunnel) as well as Line 16, Lot 2 (11km).


Tunnelling finish for Oslo water Tunnel NORWAY - The breakthrough on an 11km-long drive tunnel in January marked the end of tunnelling for Oslo’s new water supply system. The tunnel is a central part of the


capital’s new water supply system. Oslo Municipality, through the Water and Sewerage Authority, is client and said all 40km of tunnelling on the entire project has been completed, faster than planned and within budget. An AF Gruppen and Ghella JV deployed the TBM ‘Laila’ in late 2023. The TBM excavated 425,000m3 of rock and installed 36,500 rings, each comprising six segments. The project also involved 7km of drill and blast excavation.


Systra wins Patna Metro design contract INDIA - Systra has the detailed design contract for six underground stations on part of Line 1 of Patna Metro in north-east India. It is working for the Hindustan


Construction Company (HCC) on behalf of Patna Metro Rail Corporation. The award follows earlier studies and design assignments for Patna Metro. Packages PC-05 (5.5km-long) and


PC-06 (4.9km) of the project are underground sections of Line 1 (Red Line), connecting Mithapur Ramp to Rukanpura Ramp via twin tunnels and six underground stations. Patna Metro Phase 1 comprises two


corridors – the 16.9km-long Blue Line and the 14km-long Red Line. The first section of the Blue Line opened in October 2025.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45