Tunnel boring machine arrives on site for STM’s Blue Line Project

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived for the Société de transport de Montréal’s (STM) Blue Line Project. STM says the machine was custom-made in Germany and will be used to dig and encase 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) to Anjou, Quebec. 

The six-kilometer (3.7-mile) Blue Line Project will add five new rail stations east of Saint-Michel Station. According to STM, the TBM will be transported in separate parts to the construction site of the future Vertières Station in the coming days. The assembly of the TBM will span several months, with activation planned for spring 2026. 

“For the past year, work on the Blue Line extension has been moving forward on schedule and tangible progress has been made,” said Blue Line Project Office Head Maha Clour. “Vertical excavation is now complete for two of the future stations, and work continues simultaneously at the other sites. At the future Vertières Station, horizontal excavation has already begun, with our teams now digging a portion of the tunnel eastward to accommodate the tunnel boring machine. Digging is also underway on the westbound tunnel toward Saint-Michel Station.”  

STM notes the Blue Line Project Office will soon invite the public to vote on a name for the TBM.