This Monday, December 20, 2021, the last tunnel boring machine of line 15 South, Marina, arrived on the site of the Créteil-Échat station, thus completing the boring of the line's 37 kilometers of tunnel, 3,5 years after the start of the first tunnel boring machine, Steffie-Orbival, in April 2018. Starting from the Arrighi shaft, in Vitry-sur-Seine in March 2020, the Marina tunnel boring machine carried out the 2.6 km tunnel boring before reaching the end of Créteil-l'Échat station.

In total, 37 km were bored: 33 km for the passenger tunnel and 4 km for the reversal of trains and connection of the Vitry-sur-Seine operating centers, which will serve maintenance site for the line infrastructure as well as the centralized command post of line 15 located in Champigny-sur-Marne, also a train maintenance and storage site.

“We are taking another very important step for the project. With the end of the excavation of the tunnel and civil engineering work on line 15 South, it is a great breath that will be expressed: the technical difficulties linked to underground work are now behind us. I greet them project managers, construction companies and the thousands of journeymen who did a job remarkable for almost 4 years while facing major obstacles, be they of a kind technical or sanitary. I thank the mayors and elected officials who have accompanied the life of the sites at daily in their city in a spirit of dialogue and consultation. We are now entering a new phase of construction with the development and equipment of stations, service and tunnels. We have already equipped 2.6 kilometers of tunnels with tracks, catenaries and gateways. The Grand Paris express continues to take shape in a very concrete way under our feet. This is the last step before the arrival of the first test trains in 2023 and the commissioning in 2025. " says Jean-François Monteils, Chairman of the Management Board of the Société du Grand Paris.

With the end of the tunnel digging and the gradual completion of the civil engineering works, new groups of companies are taking place on the construction sites of line 15 South to install all elements that will allow the operation of the metro and ensure safety in the tunnel.

A multitude of companies and craftsmen will intervene simultaneously to develop the spaces passengers and technical rooms: interior walls and ceilings, doors, windows, locks, guardrails and facades as well as the networks responsible for supplying the sites with electricity, water and to ensure the renewal of the air. This phase also includes the installation of elevators, escalators and landing doors in underground spaces.

10 tunnel boring machines in action to bore 37 kilometers

The excavation of the entire 15 South line mobilized the intervention of 10 tunnel boring machines, one of which was completed two routes (Ellen). The tunnel boring machines laid 128,000 segments forming 18,500 rings to constitute the tunnel for line 15 South.

• Steffie-Orbival, named in honor of an employee of the Alliance company as well as reference to the Orbival association, a pioneer in supporting the Grand Paris Express and launched in April 2018 from the Puits Champigny-Plateau to the Sentier des Sailors (2.2 kilometers). He has completed its journey in June 2019.

• Malala, named in tribute to Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014 and launched in September 2018 from Puits Ru de Nesle to Bry-Villiers-Champigny (4.9 kilometers). He finished its journey in November 2020.

• Ellen, named in tribute to Ellen MacArthur, holder of the round-the-world record at the single-handed sail in 2005 and launched in February 2019 from Puits Robespierre the tunnel boring machine arrived at Fort d'Ussy-Vanves-Clamart station in July 2020 (3.9 kilometers). This tunnel boring machine performed a second journey between the Puits Robespierre and Arcueil - Cachan station (0.7 km) between the end year 2020 and April 2021.

• Amandine, named in tribute to the football player Amandine Henry, international French and Olympique Lyonnais player and launched in April 2019 from Arcueil-Cachan station towards Villejuif Louis-Aragon (3.4 kilometers). He finished his journey in December 2020.

• Aby, named in tribute to Aby Gaye, French basketball player born in Vitry-sur-Seine, launched in July 2019 from Puits Arrighi to Villejuif Louis-Aragon station (4.3 kilometers). He finished his journey in October 2021.

• Camille, named in tribute to Camille Serme, Cristolian squash player, ten times French champion and six times individual European champion and launched in October 2019, from Créteil l'Échat station to the Salengro structure (4.3 km). He finished his journey in June 2021.

• Laurence, named in tribute to Laurence Equilbey, French conductor of internationally renowned, musical director of Insula orchestra and launched in January 2020 from Puits Île de Monsieur (Pont-de-Sèvres) to Fort’Issy - Vanves - Clamart station (4.2 kilometers). He finished his course in October 2021.

• Aïcha, named in tribute to Aïcha Mokdahi, president of “Vision for life”, fund philanthropy of the Essilor company, based in Val-de-Marne and launched in January 2020 from Bry - Villiers - Champigny station to the Salengro structure in Champigny (3.1 kilometers). He has completed its journey in November 2021.

• Dieneba, named in honor of the honor of Dieneba Diarra, vitriote nurse, launched in February 2021 from the Bel Air structure in Vitry-sur-Seine to the Vitry Exploitation Center (1.1 kilometer). He finished his journey in December 2021.

• Marina, named in tribute to Marina Kvaskoff, French epidemiologist working in the Institut Gustave Roussy located in Villejuif and launched in March 2020 from Puits Arrighi to the station Créteil l'Échat (2.8 kilometers). He finished his journey in December 2021. The summer tunnel boring machine.

my source:

https://media-mediatheque.societedugrandparis.fr/pm_1_158_158398-61l87c6sb4.pdf