Up, down, sideways – and underground

From the innovative variable density tunnel boring machines (TBMs) used for the first MRT line here, Malaysian engineers have added further input to create a fleet of autonomous TBMs for the second MRT line, proving that things can always be made better. — Filepic/The Star

GREAT cities of the world are always characterised by iconic underground developments.

For instance, London’s famed metro network, fondly known as the Tube, celebrates its 160th anniversary this year. In 1863, the Metropolitan Railway started services between Paddington and Farringdon, making it the world’s first underground railway, serving six intermediate stations. Since then, the city has been crisscrossed by many more underground lines as planners saw the sense of putting some infrastructure underground so that valuable surface land could be freed for other uses.