On July 11, 2023, the Φ8.54m EPB TBM “CREC 1148” designed and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co. Ltd. (CREG) began to bore, which marks the shield section of Halkali-Ispartakule high-speed railway project in Turkey is officially started.

The shield section includes left and right tunneling sections in this project. The tunneling length for each TBM is about 6 km and the maximum buried depth is 55 m. The geology mainly consists of clay, silt, sandstone, conglomerate, claystone and marlstone and the shield machine will go through Küçükçekmece lake and proposed Istanbul canal.

Targeted on the large buried depth and high-pressure water conditions, CREG has customized two EPB TBMs (“CREC 1148” and “CREC 1149”) with the same diameter. Driven by electricity, the two TBMs have the total lengths of 135 m and maximum thrust speeds of 80mm/min. The whole machine can meet the requirements of Conformité Européenne (CE) certification, which is more reliable and safer. In addition, CREG has designed a double screw conveyor system and carried out strata reinforcement to overcome the high water pressure.

Meanwhile, the “CREC 1149” is being assembled and will be launched in September 2023. Upon completion of the Halkali-Ispartakule high-speed railway project, it will be beneficial to ease the pressure on local transport, improve the level of local passenger and freight transport and promote exchanges between the two places.

News source: CREG EPB TBM for Turkey’s Halkali-Ispartakule High-speed Railway Project Launches (tunnelingonline.com)