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Deutsche Bahn Opens Public Naming Contest for Munich Tunnel Borer

The vote gives Munich residents a say in the TBM’s name as the custom 178‑metre Mixshield is being prepared for transport ahead of a planned mid‑September tunnelling start.

Overview

  • Deutsche Bahn launched the public naming competition on Monday and is accepting female-name proposals tied to Munich, Bavaria, technology, science or infrastructure until 30 June.
  • The selection has two stages: a project shortlist of three names followed by an online public vote from 13 to 24 July, with the winner invited to an exclusive site tour on the open‑site weekend of 12–13 September.
  • The machine is a purpose‑built Mixshield TBM about 178 metres long and roughly 700 tonnes, designed for the mixed soils of the Münchner Untergrund.
  • The Mixshield was developed by the ARGE Tunnel Hauptbahnhof together with manufacturer Herrenknecht, with the ARGE made up of Wayss & Freytag, Max Bögl, Ed. Züblin and Bauer Spezialtiefbau.
  • DB says the TBM is being disassembled at Herrenknecht for transport, the first three of 23 truck loads have reached Tunnelportal West, and the machine remains scheduled to bore about three kilometres between Donnersbergerbrücke and Marienhof starting in mid‑September.