Follo Line Project (EPC TBM)

Currently the largest transport infrastructure project in Norway.

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ACCIONA works in joint venture with the Italian company Ghella in the execution of what will be the longest railway tunnels in Scandinavia, included in the Follo Line Project, Norway's largest transport infrastructure project.

Twin tunnels, each 18.5 km long with an internal diameter of 8.75 meters, will connect the cities of Oslo and Ski, establishing the central axis of the intercity development to the south-east of the Norwegian capital.

Designed for trains running at 250 kmph, carrying passengers between the two cities, both tunnels have been drilled by four huge double-shield Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), named Anna de Kloppa, Magda Flåtestad, Queen Euphemia and Queen Elisiv in honor of four of the country’s bravest and most enterprising women.

From the construction site Åsland, situated half way between Oslo and Ski, and where installations were built to support the project for production of concrete elements and mass hauling system, the four TMB’s started their journey. In a huge cavern, the TBM machines, each 150 meters long and weighing 2,400 tons, were rebuilt and started the excavations – two TBM’s towards Oslo, and two towards Ski.

The challenging job of drilling the tunnels also involved blasting caves for the TBMs, rescue tunnels (including a 2.7-km-long escape tunnel) and two 420-meter-long transport tunnels. The consortium, formed by ACCIONA and Ghella, will also construct all the project’s railway installations except the signaling systems. Resilient transport infrastructure bringing well-being and progress to Norwegian society.

Boring was completed in February 2019 when the last two TBMs reached the surface in Ski. The project is scheduled for completion in 2021 and the traffic is scheduled to start in December 2022. 

Learn more about tunnel boring machines (TBM)