On October 29, two earth-pressure balance shield tunnelling machines, “CREC 1564” and “CREC 1565,” manufactured by China Railway Hi-Tech Industry’s subsidiary China Railway Engineering Equipment Group, rolled off the production line in Zhengzhou. They will be exported to Australia for the construction of Package D of the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).
The SRL project runs 90 kilometers in total and consists of the east, north, airport, and west sections. The SRL-D package includes four tunnelling sections, designed as twin single-track tunnels. The two machines will excavate two of these sections, each stretching up to 6 kilometers.
Both shield machines have an excavation diameter of 7.28 meters and a total installed power of about 4,015 kilowatts. Based on the geological conditions and client requirements of the SRL-D project, the design team of China Railway Engineering Equipment Group implemented targeted optimizations, incorporating advanced features such as green tunnelling and intelligent maintenance. The machines fully comply with Australian standards.
Upon completion, the SRL project will connect major employment centers, educational institutions, and medical facilities across eastern and southeastern Melbourne in Victoria, further improving the city’s public transport convenience.
