TBM prepares to bore München’s second cross

TBM prepares to bore München’s second cross-city S-Bahn tunnel GERMANY: The first tunnel boring machine for the construction of München’s second S-Bahn crossing has been presented by manufacturer Herrenknecht. Named ‘Donna Maria’ in a vote by local residents, the TBM is scheduled to start boring an initial 3 km section of emergency access tunnel on September 17. This will be followed by the 7 km main drive, for which work is expected to begin in 2028. Comprising two single bores of 6.4 km, and a total of 600 m cut-and-cover sections at the two portals, the second S-Bahn line will largely run parallel to the existing east-west tunnel between Laim in the west and Leuchtenbergring in the east. It will be accompanied by the emergency tunnel, meaning three bores will be needed along the alignment overall. The cross-city tunnel will form the principal element of the second München S-Bahn programme, on which works began in April 2017. In total, 11 km of new alignment will be required. Tunnelling will be undertaken by the ARGE Tunnel Hauptbahnhof consortium, comprising Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, the Max Bögl Group, Ed Züblin, and Bauer Spezialtiefbau. The Herrenknecht TBM is 178 m long, weighs 700 tonnes, and has a diameter of 5 m. The tunnels for the second S-Bahn crossing will be located at a depth of around 40 m. The launch of work at Ostbahnhof station in October 2025 means that construction is now in hand on all the sections of the corridor. Laim and Ostbahnhof stations are being rebuilt, and new underground platforms will be added at Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof, as well as an intermediate station at Marienhof. The original S-Bahn tunnel in München opened in 1972 ahead of the city hosting the Olympic Games, but it is now reaching the limit of available capacity. See also Subscribe to gain access to all news Already have a subscription? Log in. Choose your subscription Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.