Twelve NFM EPBMs are scheduled to work on the ambitious expansion programme for the Shenzhen Metro in China.
The city plans to extend its mass trasit system from the current two lines in service to five lines between now and 2011. French-based NFM Technologies already has four TBMs on site – one being assembled for the Line 2 extension and three already into their Line 3 drives. The other eight machines are in factory assembly for delivery during 2009.

Fig 1. Shenzhen Metro Existing two lines in service

Of the three machines already on Line 3, the first started work on 14 November and will complete the 2,535m twin-tube tunnel between Hong Ling and Lao Jie stations; the second began service on 19 November to excavate the 2,400m running tunnels between Cui Zhu and Tian Bei stations; and the third should launch this month (December 2008) to complete the 1,085m section between Tian Bei and Shui Bei stations. These three 6.28m diameter EPBMs are supplied by NFM Technologies to clients B1 and BUCG and are designed to cope with the difficulties of unstable and water-logged ground.

“Design of the TBMs is undertaken in our Lyon headquarters,” said NFM Directeur Général Luc Devaux, “and principle components manufactured in the Creusot factory in France will go to China for complete machine in Chinese workshops.” NFM is 70% owned by China’s Northern Heavy Industry Group.

Metro build out
Phase 1 of the city’s metro network comprising two lines and 20 stations with an interchange at Huizhanzhongxin Station, began service in December 2004, the east-west Line 1 running between Luo Hu at the border with Hong Kong to the east and the Windows of the World on the west, and the start Line 4, connecting the Huanggang Boundary Control Point with Hong Kong in the south with Shaoniangong in the north (Fig 1).

Fig 2. Shenzhen Metro build out plan

The current plan by the Municipal Government is to expand the system with eight new extensions of which four are metro lines (Lines 2 and 3 and extensions to Lines 1 and 4), while the others are fast, regional light rail services (Lines 6, 8, 11 and 12) (Fig. 2).

As part of its business plan, the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) Corporation of neighbouring Hong Kong has signed a significant investment agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to fund 100% of the estimated RMB6 billion ($US875 million) Line 4 extension, from MTR’s Lok Ma Chau boarder station on the East Rail Line into Shenzhen, and will invest also in Lines 2 and 3 for a total investment of some RMB10 billion (about $US1.45 billion).

Of the 15.8km long Line 4 extension from Shaoniangong Station (Juvenile Activity Centre) to Qinghu Station to Longhua, 5km and two stations is underground with the rest at-grade or elevated. The underground stations and their associated running tunnels will be constructed using EPBMs and drill+blast in the hard rock sections.

Shenzhen Metro Line 4 extension

The extension of Line 1 is a link from Shijie Zhi Chuang to Shenzhen Airport. An experimental section extending to Gao Xin Yuan is scheduled to open in 2009 and the complete link to be in operation by end of 2011. Maunsell AECOM in association with STEC (Shanghai Tunnel Engineering & Rail Transit Design and Research Institute), and Parson Brinckerhoff Asia, is carrying out technical review of the designs complete by the local design institutes for the Line 1 extension and will provide technical consultancy services to Shenzhen Metro Co. The 23.3km long extension comprises 15 stations and Maunsell will be responsible for design review of the civil, structural and geotechnical aspects of the project, from the feasibility study to completion of the project. The operating section of Line 1 connects to the Hong Kong’s MTR East Rail Line at its Lo Wu border transfer station.

As well as funding the Line 4 extension, MTR will operate the full line when complete on a BOT basis. The concession agreement includes acquisition of property development rights to an aggregate gross floor area of 2.9 million m² along the alignment, which includes a connection with Shenzhen's new long distance railway station.

The Line 4 concession was signed in May 2005 and by September 2008 the feasibility study report was being reviewed by the National Development and Reform Commission, design of all elements was in progress, and tendering of all major civil works was complete. Construction of Lines 2 and 3 is also started. MTR has established a subsidiary in Shenzhen to undertake project management of the investment towards a planned opening of Line 4 in late 2010.

References

NFM's Chinese connection - TunnelTalk, Sep 2008

NFM Technologies
MTR investment in Shenzhen
Line 1 design reviews