Almost 870 women have applied to make history and be part of the world’s first all-women tunnel boring machine (TBM) crew - which will help build Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).

The team will be one of several TBM crews helping to carve the SRL East twin tunnels and will include around 25 highly skilled roles - including the TBM operator, gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and support roles.

The team will be led by SRL East Tunnels South Construction Manager Isolde Piet, who was the first female TBM pilot in the world.

source: https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/suburban-rail-loop/hundreds-apply-to-join-all-women-tunnelling-crew

In a separate statement, CIMIC (the owners of CPB Contractors) said:

Nearly 900 women have applied to join the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East's all-women tunnel boring machine (TBM) crew. This world-first initiative, led by CPB Contractors and its Suburban Connect consortium partners, aims to encourage more gender diversity in the construction industry.

The all-women crew will be one of eight TBM crews working on the southern section of the tunnels. 

After comprehensive training, the team will include a TBM operator, gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and support roles. 

CPB Contractors Construction Manager Isolde Piet believes that an all-women TBM crew will be a game-changer in Australia, with a comprehensive training program to give the women the skills they need to work on this major infrastructure project safely. 

“By showing that it can be done, we really hope more women want to be part of our great industry. Training women and bringing them into the TBM crew will hopefully leave a legacy for future projects so more women can become leaders for others”, adds Isolde.

With such a strong response to the opportunity, the project team is now reviewing applications and looking to fill the roles on the all-women crew.

“We are also investigating other suitable career opportunities for these applicants right across the project and in our Alliance parent companies”, shares Isolde.

SRL East will deliver six underground stations and 26kms of twin tunnels with trains running in 2035. As part of the Tunnels South contract, CPB Contractors and Suburban Connect’s other consortium partners will build 16 kms of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, two underground station boxes and undertake construction works at the train stabling facility in Heatherton. 

source: https://www.cimic.com.au/news-and-media/latest-news/cpb-contractors/2024/groundbreaking-number-of-applications-received-for-world-first-tbm-crew