In New York, the construction of the Hudson River Tunnel has reached an important stage with the completion of manufacturing for two state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines. The machines, built by Herrenknecht, are due to be shipped to the United States later this year for assembly on site.
Each TBM has a cutterhead diameter of 8.7 metres, weighs over 1,600 tonnes and measures more than 150 metres in length when fully assembled. They are fitted with more than 1,000 sensors to monitor excavation progress, cutter wear, and environmental conditions during operation.
The first phase of tunnelling will involve a 1.6 km drive beneath the Hudson River, connecting New Jersey to Manhattan. Once launched in 2026, each TBM is expected to progress around 10 metres per day, accounting for operational maintenance.
This project forms part of the wider Gateway Programme, which is designed to enhance capacity and resilience for the critical rail corridor linking New Jersey and New York. The corridor currently carries hundreds of thousands of passengers daily and is in urgent need of modernisation.
The tunnel is particularly significant because the existing North River Tunnels, built over a century ago, have suffered deterioration and require frequent maintenance. The new tunnels will provide resilience and redundancy for future rail operations.
Completion of TBM manufacturing is a turning point for the project, shifting the focus from planning and preparation into delivery of physical works on the ground.
Once operational, the Hudson River Tunnel will significantly increase passenger rail capacity and support the economic growth of the wider region.