Visiting a MASSIVE Tunnel Boring Machine on the Eglinton West Extension!

[@RMTransit]

Fun fact: Many tunnel boring machines are used once, or even left in the ground (the ones for the Chunnel are still sitting under the channel!)

[@Repleh]

yep, it’s cheaper to leave them down there because TBMs are specifically built for each tunnel. not much reusability.

[@soviut303]

@@Repleh I recall seeing that in places where they're used heavily (Switzerland, as I recall) some have been reactivated to continue certain tunnels years later.

[@AlexandreJWKlaus]

also, for some really good examples of detailed explanations of tbms, marti group's youtube has some tunnel boring machine videos that are very good explainers

[@msg5507]

While this is true of the cutterheads and shields, a lot of the TBM parts, including the drives, can be taken out of the ground and repurposed. A couple of TBMs being put into service on the Sydney West Metro tunnels were previously used in the Sydney Northwest, City and Southwest Metro tunnels, and in between were used for Brisbane's Cross River Rail tunnels.

[@LightbulbTedbear2]

The cutting head that was used for the DLR extension to Bank is still in the tunnel - it's now a pedestrian tunnel and you can walk through it!

[@CharlieND]

They may be boring machines, but they're definitely not boring machines.

[@stevengalloway8052]

Brilliant! 👏 👏 😆

[@heathermmartin16]

🏆

[@terrygelinas4593]

I dig your humour

[@RMTransit]

Exactly, they are so complex and powerful!

[@oh_flock]

@Charlie ND I was just thinking that

[@brentfoster9138]

This extension should be ready just in time for phase one’s ribbon cutting. Christ, my 10 year old daughter wasn’t even a twinkle in my wife’s eye when this albatross started. Bravo Metrolinx.

[@rabbitfang48]

Thanks for talking about how TBMs turn; I haven't seen that mentioned much in other TBM videos I've seen. Another thing I'm curious about is how do they dig out the stations, especially when they are deep enough where cut & cover isn't an option (and similarly, digging for crossovers).

[@RMTransit]

Cut and cover is an option! Its how most stations are built TBMs or not - its how most happened on Eglinton.

[@quillmaurer6563]

I'd think the limitation on cut and cover isn't depth, but if building under existing infrastructure or buildings they don't want to destroy.

[@haweater1555]

It's done before, at the Eastern Access tracks far deep under New York City's Grand Central. But cut & cover wasn't an option.

[@rosskgilmour]

Can’t imagine being one of the men digging below the Thames with an original tunnel shield way back in the day. Great video. It’s amazing thah these machines can do it all. From gas pipelines to base tunnels.

[@WhiskyCanuck]

I imagine a lot of the heat in the tunnel is from all the friction of the TBM's cutting wheel grinding all that rock. All that friction would put out a lot of heat.

[@RMTransit]

Yep, thats a huge component of it!

[@youtube79z]

plus there's soil insulation on all sides, nowhere for the heat to dissipate

[@cannabeans]

Surprisingly, no. I'm one of the electricians on this machine. most of the heat is from the frequency drives for our motors and the large transformers that take the 13.2kv source down to 600v.

[@tonamiplayman4305]

@@cannabeans What's the drive power of this machine? I know the Herrenknecht 7m diameter EPB TBMs used on the Doha metro were 1.44MW, so even at 90% efficiency, that's 144kW of waste heat. A standard space heater is about 1.5kW. So A single TBM will be emitting about 100X the heat in a tight insulated environment.

[@Valery0p5]

Also if you are under a mountain temperatures can go up pretty rapidly the deeper you are

[@fl-v8843]

I'm really impressed by this video. You've explained some things about TBMs that I've never seen explained across all the TV documentaries and youtube videos I've seen on them: 6:10 Using one TBM as a pilot seems obvious but for whatever reason I've never heard it talked about 9:17 While I've heard about pressurised cutting heads (even one documentary where they opened a forward hatch to inspect a cave-in) I've never seen anyone mention the obvious issue that that soil needs de-pressurising before it can be put on the conveyor 10:05 Documentaries rarely seem to talk about the launching process, often just showing a time-lapse, and to my knowledge they don't show people around during that time either. So it never occurred that there's no inherent structure to push off at launch, in fact the transitionary structure between an often square single tunnel mouth into paired tunnel ring sections is a mystery I'd love to know 10:54 The shield that overlaps the tunnel lining is often only implied but I've never heard mention how that moving seal is created with brushes coated in viscous grease

[@RTSRafnex2]

You really have to watch the videos of the Marti Group here on youtube. Most of your points are explained in detail.

[@hankmoody7521]

It's somewhat crazy, that a somewhat small but still family owned business from the german black forest is enabling so many infrastructure projects. Herrenknecht is doing a fantastic job.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

I literally ride past Renforth Station along the Eglinton bike route every weekday - twice, to and from work. It's very exciting seeing all the work being done there. Now I have a better idea what's going on. Thanks for this video!

[@RMTransit]

It's super exciting!

[@eltronics]

THAT was interesting.... Don't think I have ever seen a documentary with so intimate details. Thanks.

[@Hollandstation]

it's so fascinating to see it in operation!

[@RMTransit]

I agree, it's amazing! Surprisingly relaxed environment in there!

[@polyhedraldreams9905]

I think the Eglinton West Extension will open before the Eglinton Crosstown.

[@DownieLive]

As far as boring videos go, this is the MOST BORING video I have ever seen... I loved it! Thanks Reece!

[@RMTransit]

Thanks Mike! I don't find your videos boring, but I agree that this video is boring!

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Fascinating! I hope once this project is complete, Toronto has another project for the tunnel boring machines to start on.

[@RMTransit]

They generally aren't reused!

[@TaiViinikka]

@@RMTransit Makes sense if there are no connecting tunnels, but couldn't Dennis, Lea, Don, or Humber have been used to dig the Eg West?

[@andrewclarkson3401]

Fascinating! I have been curious about these machines. I pass by Richview Park at least once a week, and always wonder how it is going below ground. Those machines are a lot bigger than I thought!

[@RMTransit]

Yep, they are enormous!

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Eglinton LRT tunnels are bigger than subway tunnels because the vehicles are taller. They have over 6m diameter while subway tunnels are 5.4m (Sheppard) or 5.6m(TYSSE)

[@MarioFanGamer659]

@@OntarioTrafficMan It's interesting that this is the case but it also makes sense because low-floor LRV do take some sacrifices for floor space and put the remaining equipment on the ceiling.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@MarioFanGamer659 Exactly. Subway trains are generally designed to fit in a small tube (similar width and height, with rounded corners) while trams are designed to fit in tight spaces on the road, so they are narrower and taller (due to equipment on the roof, and overhead power collection and often no consideration for minimising the tunnel radius by rounding the corners of the roof).

[@gkwlsdk29]

me too!

[@Mystro256]

The idea of having the hurontario line connect with the TTC by converting the trainsitway to an LRT would be amazing. I can't wait. I just came back from Japan and their train system makes me very jealous.

[@RailRide]

Portions of Ottawa's bus transitway were repurposed for the present-day light rail right-of-way.

[@stevengalloway8052]

😳 Krispy Kreme donuts?! No Tim Horton's?! I'm very impressed, sir! 👏👍

[@RMTransit]

I wasn't sure how to feel about them!

[@een_schildpad]

So cool!!! Thanks for taking us along on the tour!! 🙌

[@Barnaclebeard]

That's sick. It totally reminded me of a small space craft or one of those 90s Abyss-oid movies.

[@MartinBrenner]

Herrenknecht TBMs at work again :) These concrete lining elements are called tübbing in German, a term from the mining industry, there seems to be an English equivalent, tubbing, but I don't know if that is commonly used. Great video!

[@davidreichert9392]

It sounds cooler if we just keep the German word.

[@RMTransit]

I'd just say tunnel ring

[@barryrobbins7694]

Yes, the difference in terminology is quite interesting. Tubbing in English can also mean: A hazing ritual in which the victim's head is held underwater. :)

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Thats an awesome experience, thanks for letting us get to see it!

[@RipCityBassWorks]

Woah that is hella cool and hella complex. Really explains why elevated guideways generally have a lower cost than tunnels.

[@Paul_inDC]

Wow - great explanation, super clear and concise! As others have noted, particularly appreciated the explanation of how the TBMs execute curves. Thank you!

[@OneOmot]

This is impressive I would never be allowed/able to visit this. Nice to see how it works. Thanks for this video.

[@willwray8511]

Your best video yet, so interesting. Amazing to see what is involved in this huge undertaking

[@RMTransit]

Thanks fo much for that!

[@justsomeguy5103]

I have worked on a couple of drill and blast tunneling projects, but never TBM (as they haven't gained much traction in Norway). This video was a delightful mix of very familiar and utterly foreign concepts.

[@jamesboulton9632]

Really great explanation of how a TBM operates , its incredible that someone developed this system ,its quite complex !

[@bdhaliwal24]

Fantastic video. Thanks for bringing this to us!

[@fireshorts5789]

That was incredibly informative, I didn't even know they were already working on the West extension to the Crosstown LRT.

[@TheTroyc1982]

Construction started 2 years ago and the tunnel is half built already and you didn't know it was under constructions??

[@kartik_sinha]

This is cool stuff right here. Maybe the best video you have made so far.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks! If you enjoyed it give it a share!

[@eltodesukane]

Very interesting. Thanks for the visit.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching!

[@mdhazeldine]

I remember going to visit the Eurotunnel museum down in Folkestone when they were building the Channel Tunnel. Pretty sure I saw one of the TBMs there, or at least one of the cutting heads. Crazy how huge they are!

[@RMTransit]

Yeah I think they have a cutting head, they need to put more of those in stations etc!

[@nickycha8428]

I was lucky to observe the NYC sand hogs work on city tunnel number 3. They are tough, smart, and professional. CTN3 was excavated by a TBM and was completed in 2012.

[@myrtleman9623]

You are such a knowlegable young man.

[@quoniam426]

When you know that over 20 of them are used at the same time to dig the Grand Paris Express...

[@RMTransit]

Yeah, Toronto will probably have about 5 - 6 in the ground at once, IIRC Moscow has the record

[@Barnaclebeard]

dot dot dot what??

[@Jer_Schmidt]

Thanks for the video, super interesting!!

[@jacktattersall9457]

6.5 meters diameter: that's a bigger tunnel than the TYSSE extension to Vaughan and the ECLRT original part used. Interesting! I wonder if TBMs getting wider increases costs?

[@namm0x326]

I think the bigger TBM is to decrease costs. 1 tunnel for both tracks instead of digging 2 tunnels right beside each other. Of course it does massively increase spoil removal etc so I think there are several tradeoffs involved, but I believe the choice for a bigger TBM this time was to reduce costs.

[@peterholzer4481]

@@namm0x326 He mentioned at 6:00 that they are boring two tunnels.

[@jacktattersall9457]

@@namm0x326 Their are still separate twin tunnels on this Eglinton West Extension, as with the original ECLRT and TYSEE. Single bore tunnel shared by both tracks is being used on Scarborough Subway Extension, however.

[@kartik_sinha]

@@namm0x326 6.5 m isn't big enough for two tracks. It's still a twin tunnel but I think 6.5m is a standard siza tbm hence cheaper to aquire and get spares for if needed. Custom TBM's are generally much more expensive specially if something needs to be replaced

[@RMTransit]

Size doesn't increase cost all that much - bigger than the TYSSE I believe a big factor is needing to accommodate overhead!

[@SaturnCanuck]

Reece that was awesome! I want to see more of this. Keep it up

[@ronh2660]

Fascinating. Thanks for your work

[@slashmaster2]

A TBM makes a JACKASS sound!💯

[@alank1995]

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing

[@captainkeyboard1007]

The first time I knew about the tunnel boring machine (TBN) was in 1982 while reading about the subway stations being built on the Washington Metro under Connecticut Avenue & Wisconsin Avenue, via the Red Line. This includes Forest Glen, as the deepest subway station in the United States, and Wheaton, as another deep station, but it is not as deep as Forest Glen. However, Wheaton has the longest escalators in the country. Also, I like some construction that consists of the tunnel boring machine being used on "soft" ground. I believe this method was used on Seventh Street for the Green and Yellow lines. I have saved many of your shows to watch as often as I wish.

[@Fenthule]

This is the kind of boring content I love from KZbin.

[@MilliBlom]

It would be really interesting to see the TBM for the wide-bore tunnel that the San Jose BART extension is using, once that gets going

[@mikemartin77]

Awesome video Mr. Martin.

[@polecat3]

I love TBMs! Like man-made wyrms

[@TurboTimsWorld]

Great Video, I used to own a Land Rover that previously had been used to take tours for VIPs to the Channel Tunnel in the UK

[@pauldevey8628]

Wow! Super good video!

[@RMTransit]

Thanks Paul!

[@ice401557]

One of the TBM's I've seen was one with a surprisingly small diamater. It was used to bore a sewage tunnel underneath Ajtósi Dürer sor in Budapest, Hungary.

[@JackyValentine129]

Wow. This is amazing

[@NickCombs]

Have you seen the robot swarm tunnel boring technique? It's only had a scaled demo so far, but it looks like it could make the process much faster, safer, and more flexible in terms of tunnel shape and conditions.

[@mniimykmfptd]

This machine has more space then most of the apartments in downtown Toronto :-)

[@RMTransit]

It's not quite that tight!

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

Amazing technology!

[@barryrobbins7694]

It would be interesting to know how many companies around the world make TBMs and how many companies use such equipment.

[@flexi18g86]

Just like 5 companies produce them in only 3 countries Japan, USA and Germany, where Herrenknecht ist the biggest one.

[@pedromorgan99]

you lucky person getting access !!!! am green with envy .... ;-))

[@robertwalsh1724]

Michigan needs a rail tunnel under the Straights of Mackinaw. The tunnels at Port Huron and Detroit are over 100 years old. Why no rail tunnel under the straights? Good topic for a show.

[@DarthLenaPlant]

I'm not sure if I remember right, but if I understood it right, I think this method of injecting a stabilizer into the soil to prevent sinkholes while installing conrete rings as the machine is moving forward is called "New Austrian Tunnel building Method" (neue Österreichische Tunnelbauweise)? We use that in a lot of projects, mainly the U5 building and the U2 extension in Vienna, but also for the Semmering base tunnel.

[@frisbeepilot]

According to family lore, one of my great-grandfathers was on the team of people that dug the original St. Clair River rail tunnel from Sarnia, Ontario to Port Huron, Michigan. There were lots of pickaxes and mules involved, apparently. I bet his mind would've been blown by these massive machines.

[@stevenczikk8730]

Very cool, although I wish they had gone with an at/above grade alignment for this leg of the line. Lord knows there is plenty of space.

[@willwray8511]

Thanks!

[@RMTransit]

Thank you!

[@ALuimes]

This will be the first intermodal station where the non-TTC rapid transit station (and line) was built first.

[@shifty7082]

Reese! Can you please make a video discussing the protocols transit authorities use and the consequences to service of people who trespass on subway tracks? It's an activity that's becoming more common for urban explorers in Toronto and I'd love to know what the effect is on commuters.

[@colintilbrook]

great to see a inside look at this, even better to see some part of Toronto Transit that is a FUBAR show.

[@Alex_Plante]

Great video!

[@monicahoger]

Neat! As I'm sure you're aware, Vancouver is also using tunnel boring machines to extend the Millennium line out as well. I'm not sure if their machines differ from what's being used here, but this was cool to see how the giant machines operate.

[@DGotliebVids]

I'm so fascinated with how you successfully arrive at your destination with out being able to see where you're going. I wonder what the margin of error is on where you pop out on the other end.

[@anthonysaunders345]

Not at all what my imagination pictured. No wonder those machines are so expensive! I wonder whether we own them or lease them. Considering mass transit plans for GTA's future, we might as well own them.

[@RMTransit]

They own them, they are generally single use!

[@springpink]

learned so much!

[@ericbruun9020]

now would be a good time to cover the long deferred Northeast Extension of the Broad Street Subway in Philadelphia. It is part ot the Mayoral debate. It would be both cut and cover and tunnel.

[@RMTransit]

That's what advocates have proposed - but we'd have to see what transit agencies etc want to do

[@drobertsatplay]

This was great. I live right at Scarlett and Eglington so this is the reality that I and many others in this neighborhood will be experiencing. Could you explain to me how they keep this massive complex machine moving in the right direction, at the proper pitch and depth? Have there been any unexpected surprises discovered along the way? E.g. fossils, etc.? I'm as much a nerd about these technologies as you are, and the level of professionalism and research that you do in making these videos is outstanding. Keep up the great work. 👍

[@TheTroyc1982]

they say way the stare it by applying more pressure to one side to turn the machine

[@bloatedblitz]

would you ever make a video on the Buenos Aires Subte sometime? I can get you plenty of B-Roll if you ever do ;)

[@bucket6386]

130 meters long? wow, modern engineering

[@brucewilkinson8599]

Great video.

[@-PORK-CHOP-]

Would have been good to see how they supply power to the machine as it's progressing

[@wklis]

Forgot that the beginning of the Eglinton West LRT extension is actually in Mississauga. The further extension to the Pearson Transit Hub will be all in Mississauga.

[@RMTransit]

Yes!

[@ce1834]

Meanwhile Elon's Boring Company digging more lanes to sit sat in traffic underground 💀, pretty cool how trams are being used very much like a traditional subway in huge tunnels, the future airport connection will make life a lot easier lol

[@o_s-24]

Sitting in traffic underground = being fried alive

[@RMTransit]

I would say the trams are *cool* but a subway train is a better use of a tunnel

[@alexthemtaandr211weatherfa2]

What the Tesla tunnel-boring machine

[@o_s-24]

Awsome video

[@muralikuganesan]

Hey Reese love the videos you make, just wanted to know if you were planning to make an updated video on the Hurontario LRT since it's approaching completion!

[@RoboJules]

I can't wait till Eglington West opens in 2083.

[@williamerazo3921]

Now do a cut n cover construction site

[@Ktsquare2008]

May I talk about a northwest extension of line 5 from the planned extension to Pearson? Guideline #1 says staying on topic

[@Gaster_021]

The US needs to use these things more to better connect America 🇺🇸

[@LadyJennivieve]

Was there a bathroom anywhere down there?

[@loucololosse]

My god, you are publishing videos like a machine gun man! You know you can take a break?

[@stevengalloway8052]

Won't happen. He's obsessed... 😆

[@RMTransit]

I am not making them any faster than 2 weeks or 2 months ago. 2 videos a week!

[@loucololosse]

maybe it's because they show more on my feed

[@brentfoster9138]

He’ll rest when metrolinx tells him to.

[@RTSRafnex2]

TBMs are basically the alter ego of Swiss people.

[@foxfireglow109]

Since the work goes on twenty four hours, is the night shift Rexy’s Midnight Tunnelers?

[@EdGreenTO]

Dense, historic Golden Mile in Scarborough: no tunnel for you people. Vast open lands of Etobicoke: tunnel away!

[@MarekThatGuy]

The Golden Mile is just a large parking lot. There isn't much that isn't a parking lot. That's about as much anti-transit and anti-pedestrian as you can get in North America.

[@teetee2799]

I think they are going to use one of these tunnel boring machine on the Yongon Metro construction,btw Yongon is a city located in the Southeast Asian country of Burma.The Yongon Metro it's going to be opened on 2025 and it's going to be the first-ever Metro System in Burma with eight lines. Unfortunately my country is going to be a bit of a revolution right now the military coop has took over the entire country but,however the construction has already started with.The demolition of what was once the headquarters building of the Burma Railway or Myanmar Railway.

[@stroll-and-roll]

Yeah, I was about to say the civil war is not helpful at all, also with all the sanctions against the "goverment" ... Most TBMs are western made (if i am not wrong), but probably China produces some aswell 😄. A metro in Myanmar is nice nevertheless.

[@rp.aguilera]

wait! "ahead of schedule" where????

[@TheTroyc1982]

Yes, the extension ahead of schedule currently. The gap between the extension and main line opening is shrinking every day.

[@andrewstevens2364]

What do you know about the Austin Tx Project connect and the downtown subway?

[@carlinthomas9482]

That was very interesting, I'm glad to hear that the western extension of line 5 is ahead of schedule as well. Is there any reason why subway building, especially in North America, is taking longer than it used to?

[@TheTroyc1982]

Using TBM is slower than cut and cover is the main reason it's slower

[@u1zha]

America's fussy land ownership laws?

[@RMTransit]

North America isn't the only place with delayed projects, and some projects are much faster than others! I talk about some of it in my costs video

[@williamerazo3921]

Money 💰

[@nickskier1]

Theres many reasons. A major component in the last couple years is supply chain. You might be building and need materials that keep getting delayed weeks to months at a time. Another factor, to many reles and considerations, things like much stricter safety rules, extensive environmental rules to minimize impact (many of which of continually gotten a lot stricter over the last decade), an d more considerations the the people around the construction, minimizing noise, traffic disruption etc. Now I'm not saying these are all bad things, but every little thing / rule that's added means it takes more time to build as well.

[@ChuckConnNYC]

Does the concrete set? That is an exothermic reaction, it could have made everything very very hot if not precast

[@sockpuppety]

the "hole" experience. heheh

[@williamerazo3921]

Did line 5 really need a TBM ? It seems out in the suburbs it’s cut n cover

[@terrybc7004]

Are you not able to see the front of the TBM boring it's way through making the tunnel?

[@jeromepersaud7367]

Insert Minions joke at 3:32.

[@brianalexeu]

Is the terminus built with both of the extensions you mentioned in mind? And how would extending it to both destinations work operationally?

[@RMTransit]

Branches, probably a train to the airport every 10 or 15 minutes.

[@fredashay]

Is there a bathroom in the machine?

[@tomsolismusic]

Do they make a loud trumpet sound? Saw someone say that on Instagram

[@bearcubdaycare]

How does TBM diameter affect costs? And do they use real time seismic?

[@kartik_sinha]

Well more soil needs to be removed and handled with bigger TBM's.

[@RMTransit]

@@kartik_sinha Thats indeed the main cost increase!