Moscow-based Alfa Logistics has organized the trans-shipment of a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) from the Le Creusot, France, headquarters of NFM Technologies to Kazan in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. The cargo will land at Rostov from where it will be on shipped to Kazan, where it will used for tunneling the extension to the Kazan subway.

This 5.89m diameter Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBM was designed for the subway line 1 extension in Kazan, following on from the initial order in 2005 for the subway.

“The first machine was chosen quite by chance,” said Marat Rakhimov, director of Kazmetrostroy, the authority in charge of the construction of the subway. “This machine was chosen from experience.”

Alfa Logistics is transporting the machine, which has been given a Tatar girl’s name meaning “as beautiful as the moon” from Le Creusot at the beginning of August on its journey to the work site, where it is expected to arrive at the end of September.