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    Xihe on Tung Chung Line down-track: TBM turnback method and risks for tunnel engineers

    June 1, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Xihe on Tung Chung Line down-track: TBM turnback method and risks for tunnel engineers

    First reported on Tunnelling Journal – News

    30 Second Briefing

    TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

    Technical Brief

    • Purpose-built Herrenknecht slurry TBM is configured for highly variable ground conditions along the Tung Chung alignment.
    • Underground rotation used a push–pull system combined with a self-propelled modular transporter within the launch shaft.
    • Avoiding full disassembly eliminated heavy lifting and surface transport cycles typically required for TBM turnaround.
    • On-site reorientation and reassembly materially shortened the tunnelling programme relative to conventional shaft breakout and re-launch.
    • Shaft-confined turnaround reduced surface construction footprint, limiting disturbance to adjacent urban communities and traffic.
    • Tunnelling near existing MTR assets demands tight control of ground movements to protect operational rail infrastructure.
    • Proximity to dense urban development implies stringent settlement monitoring and real-time response during slurry TBM operations.

    Our Take

    Within our 351 Infrastructure stories, Hong Kong rail schemes involving MTR Corporation tend to deliver on relatively tight urban programmes, so a 2029 commissioning window for the Tung Chung Line Extension likely assumes minimal interface risk with existing Tung Chung Station operations.

    A 7.3 m slurry TBM from Herrenknecht for a 1.3 km twin-bore drive suggests ground and groundwater conditions under Tung Chung New Town and towards Lantau Island are being treated as complex enough to justify full slurry management rather than EPB or drill‑and‑blast alone.

    Bouygues Travaux Publics and Dragages Hong Kong appear frequently in our database on constrained Asian urban tunnelling jobs, signalling that MTR Corporation is continuing to favour contractors with a track record in mixed-face and soft-ground metro works rather than spreading risk to newer market entrants.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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