Delia arrives at the E17 station on Lima’s new subway line

Delia, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that is digging inch by inch at a depth of 25-30 metres (82-98 feet) below the surface of Peru’s capital, has achieved a new milestone.

The TBM, named after the first Peruvian woman with a degree in mining engineering, has completed the second section of Line 2 of the Lima Metro, a strategic project that Webuild Group is implementing with a consortium of European and local companies.  The new line will bring the city closer to the port of Callao, founded in 1537 by Francisco Pizarro, as well as connect it to the eastern suburbs as far as the ATE district.

To celebrate, Italy’s Ambassador to Peru Giancarlo Maria Curci took part in the ceremony at the line’s new Nicolas Ayllon E17 station. “I am very happy – and I say this on behalf of the Italian government that I represent – to see Italian companies are involved in a project that is so important for the mobility of Lima,” said the Ambassador.

“Completion of this work will allow a rapid flow of passengers in transit, and what we see today is an important milestone. It gives us great satisfaction to see t Italian companies fly our flag so high,” Curcio concluded.

Lima’s Line 2 will give the city – one of the most populous in South America with 9 million inhabitants with currently just one subway line — a future linked to sustainable mobility.

The project, which calls for an investment of $3 billion (€2.75 billion), also foresees the construction of a future segment of Line 4, thus creating an efficient transportation system capable of transporting 1 million people per day (1,200 passengers per train), connecting the 10 city districts involved and significantly reducing travel time between ATE and Callao, from the current 2 hours and 45 minutes to just 45 minutes.

Specifically, to carry out the work, 27 kilometres (88 feet) of tunnels will be excavated, 17.5 km of which will deploy mechanized excavation machines. Each of the two TBMs to be used has a diameter of 10.27 metres (33 feet) and a total length of 112 and 150 metres (367 and 492 feet), with a weight that reaches 1,200 tons.

Delia is one of the two machines currently crawling underground in Lima to complete a project that is considered of major national importance.

With its 37 stations, 36 ventilation and emergency shafts, and two train depots, the new infrastructure will give a major boost to sustainable mobility in Lima, in line with the Peruvian government’s development plans.

Lima’s Line 2 is just one of the major infrastructures that the Peruvian government aims to build in the short term. In addition to the subway that will run below the capital, the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure has announced an investment plan to modernise the country’s transportation network and infrastructure. In 2021 alone, $8.2 billion (€7.5 billion) was invested by the ministry, 69% more than the previous year. The year 2022 is also confirming this trend with the announcement of some important projects, such as the modernisation of the Chinchero airport, as well as new rail and metro lines.

These are essential works for the modernisation of the country, reducing pollution and congestion in the short run, but also in the long term.