Completing the contract means that we have mined nearly 14 kilometres under London and carefully put in place over 9,300 rings with a peak of over 166 metres bored in one day in October.

World class trips easily off the tongue now but it was Ada’s performance that set the bar for Crossrail’s TBMs. It was Ada that cleared Lord’s Hill Bridge with only four metres cover and it was Ada that had to deal with the diaphragm wall at Bond Street.  When faced with a previously unidentified borehole at Great Marlborough Street, Ada took the challenge completely in her stride.

None of us will ever forget that Ada carried her 950 tonnes of weight over the Northern Line Platform Tunnel at Tottenham Court Road, with a clearance of only 850mm, despite the trains and passengers travelling on the platform below.

By the time she reached London Underground’s cast iron lined museum tunnel, Ada had a relaxed self assurance borne out of her 17 months historic tunnelling.

“This is a fantastic achievement and we should be extremely proud of what we have done for the Crossrail programme and London’s infrastructure for the next two centuries.” said Graham Hughes, Project Director.

Ada now joins her sister Phyllis to be encased in concrete for posterity in the TBM’s final position beneath Charterhouse Square at Farringdon Station.

“This is a contract that I will always remember, not just for the great things that we have achieved, or for the way in which we have done so, but also for the people who have made such a great Western Team.” said Tom Tagg, BFK’s Managing Director.

Photo shows some of Ada’s miners celebrating the completion.  Back row left to right; Jose Barriga - TBM operator, Brett Rowling, Joe McCarthy, Mick Curley - Pit Boss, Patsy Callaghan, Rudi Wasner - TBM operator, Ryan Booth, Tom Iverson, Frank Baker.  Front row left to right; Padraic Flanagan, Adrian McGee, Alfonso Cerrato - mechanical engineer, Adel Nunez, Antonio Silvares (seated), Kevin Rowling, Eamon Horan, Fernando Gonzalez - Shift engineer.