The Ada tunnel boring machine operated by the BFK joint venture—which includes Ferrovial—has completed construction of the final ring in the Crossrail rail project. Ada reached its final destination at Farringdon, under the heart of London.

This new project will increase London’s rail network capacity by 10%. Thanks to the Ada tunnel boring machine (TBM) used by Ferrovial and its partners, the new 13 kilometer tunnel has now been completely excavated.

When the work is complete, Crossrail will span 118 kilometers from Maidenhead and Heathrow (London’s largest airport) in western London all the way to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the eastern part of the city. It includes 21 kilometers of new twin tunnels under central London, which will allow 1.5 million people to come into the city’s main business areas in only 45 minutes.

The BFK joint venture still has to finish excavating the station platform tunnels at the Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Fisher Street stations. BFK is also building a new Crossrail station at Farringdon, which will be completed in 2018.

In mid-October, the joint venture—which includes Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall and Kier—finished work on the first tunnel passing under London for the Crossrail project. This tunnel was made with the Phyllis TBM, which excavated 6.8 kilometers from the Royal Oak station in western London to Farringdon, in central London.