TBM begins digging Tel Aviv light rail tunnel

The first tunnel boring machine (TBM) for building the red-line project of the Tel Aviv light rail began its digging work in Ramat Gan, a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, on Feb. 19, showing that construction on the light rail enters the fast track, People's Daily reported.

"China has become Israel’s preferred cooperation partner," an Israeli official said during the project launching ceremony..

The excavation machine, "Golda," is named after Israel’s first female Prime Minister Golda Meir, 

The TBM arrived at Tel Aviv after it was assembled at the excavation machine industrial center of China Railway Engineering Equipment Group. The 115-meters-long machine has a diameter of 7.54 meters, consisting of 100,000 spare parts.

A total of eight TBMs will dig the light rail tunnels in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, with each clearing 33 feet of tunnel each day, according to an Israeli media report.

In 2015, a consortium formed by China Railway Tunnel Group (CRTG) and Israeli Company Solel Boneh won the 3.1 billion ILS tender to build two tunnels, 6 underground stations and 16 cross passages in the western section of the red line.

This is the first order for a Chinese company to construct overseas light rail line as a major contractor.It is estimated that the project will be completed by 2021.

“We are glad to work with Chinese companies and we have signed a MOU concerning infrastructure construction. The light rail system is very important for Israel and we believe Chinese enterprises will do a remarkable job,” said Israel Katz, Israeli minister of transport.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Israel. In recent years, the bilateral trade volume has exceeded US$11 billion, 50 times that of 25 years ago. China has been Israel's third largest export destination in the world and biggest trading partner in Asia. The two countries are constantly seeking new opportunities for cooperation in infrastructure and high-tech areas.

Chinese enterprises are taking an active role in Israel’s infrastructure construction, with projects worth over US$3 billion signed, covering areas such as port and light rail.