The tunnel boring machine that will open the new Madrid Metro underground corridor between Carabanchel and Retiro is now is in its last tests before starting engines. It will be the decisive step for the L11 project to continue on its course. We tell you all the details.
Why does it matter? The expansion of line 11 It is one of the most relevant transport infrastructure works being carried out in Madrid today. The new section will connect by metro two ends of the city that are currently poorly connected: the south, from Carabanchel, to the east, arriving at Conde de Casal in the Retiro district, passing through stations such as Madrid Río, Arganzuela, Palos de la Frontera and Atocha. When operational, which is planned for late 2027 or early 2028, it will greatly benefit transportation in the city.
The machine behind the tunnel. Mayrit is the name of the tunnel boring machine which will run most of this section. Manufactured in Germany for almost two years, it measures 98 meters in length, 9 meters wide and weighs 1,500 tons. He arrived in Madrid by land and sea after a complex transfer, and It has been being assembled for months at the Comillas station, the point from which it will begin its advance.
According to account the medium 20 Minutes, the machine has been in the technical and hydraulic testing phase for several days, so everything indicates that it could soon be put into operation. In fact, the Ministry of Transport expects it to be before the end of March.
How it works and what makes it special. The operation of Mayrit is interesting, since in addition to drilling, it is advancing and, in the process, building the tunnel. Just like account In the middle, its cutting wheel incorporates 54 discs, 172 picks and 24 battens, tools that erode the ground and remove the excavated material. At the same time, the machine places rings of concrete segments that form the final structure through which the trains will circulate. In addition, it has a system of locks that allows it to be stopped at any point during the excavation in the event of a breakdown, without having to wait to reach a station.
The tour. Mayrit will depart from Comillas and will have 5,227 meters ahead of it to its extraction point, located beyond the M-30 to avoid affecting the Colonia del Hogar Ferroviario and Darwin Park, in Moratalaz. According to pointed In the middle, the route is divided into four segments: Comillas-Madrid Río (1,114 meters), Madrid Río-Arganzuela (1,613 meters, the longest), Arganzuela-Palos de la Frontera (709 meters, the shortest) and Palos de la Frontera-Atocha (1,436 meters).
To all this we must add the final 355 meters between Conde de Casal and the extraction well. At its pace, which is about 15 meters a day, the tunnel boring machine should reach Madrid Río this summer.
The traditional method. Before Mayrit enters the scene, part of the route (specifically the section that connects Comillas with Plaza Elíptica) is using the Belgian method (also called in Spain the classic Madrid method). This system, based on manual excavation and progressive shoring, advances about 50 meters per month. The tunnel boring machine, under normal conditions, will drill 450 meters per month, so the difference is abysmal.
Maintenance stops. According to account 20 Minutes, upon arriving in Madrid Río, Mayrit will make a technical stop to check its cutting wheel and replace worn parts. The duration of this stoppage will depend on the state in which the machinery arrives and may extend to other parts of the system. It is expected that this type of checks will be repeated at each station, although the machine can stop at any point if necessary.
The total term. With all the stages added up and taking into account the maintenance stops, the general director of Collective Transport Infrastructure of the Community of Madrid, Miguel Núñez, estimated that the complete excavation between Comillas and Conde de Casal will take between 13 and 14 months. If the start-up occurs before the end of March, calculations place the end of drilling around May or June 2027, although the opening to the public of the new section will take a few more months, as it requires completing the installations, equipment and operational tests.
Cover image | Madrid Metro
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