ACCIONA has marked a major milestone on Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop East with the unveiling of the eight tunnel boring machine names that will excavate the project’s 26-kilometre twin tunnels, including four machines delivering 16 kilometres of tunnelling works between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.

The announcement was celebrated last week at Terra Verde’s Burwood site, where Minister for Suburban Rail Loop Harriet Shing joined women, whose achievements are being honoured through the naming of the machines, highlighting the role of women in shaping the state’s largest transport project.

The SRL East tunnel boring machine names were selected by Grade 1, 2 and 3 students from seven primary schools located along the project alignment: Clayton North, Clayton South, Essex Heights, Huntingdale, Kerrimuir, Le Page and Roberts McCubbin. Students voted from a shortlist of inspiring Victorian women representing a wide range of backgrounds and industries.

Among those honoured is Suburban Connects Construction Manager, Tunnels, Isolde “Issy” Piet, recognising more than two decades of leadership in the civil construction industry. Ms Piet has built an international career across the Netherlands, Turkey and Australia, combining technical expertise with a commitment to innovation and inclusion.

Harriet Shing, Minister for Suburban Rail Loop, highlighted the significance of the milestone. “These names celebrate Victorian women who are breaking barriers and contributing to our state in extraordinary ways,” Ms Shing said. “It is especially meaningful that local school students have played a role in recognising these achievements while learning about the infrastructure shaping their communities.”

Isolde Piet, Construction Manager, Tunnels at Suburban Connect, reflected on the recognition. “Having a tunnel boring machine named in this project is a great honour,” Ms Piet said. “It sends a strong message to young people, especially girls, that engineering and construction offer exciting and rewarding careers.”

With more than 20 years’ experience, Ms Piet has worked on major tunnelling projects around the world. Her interest in engineering was sparked through surfing and learning about surfboard design, leading to a career in technical design, construction and engineering. In Australia, she established a precast concrete facility to manufacture tunnel segments in Brisbane and became the world’s first female tunnel boring machine pilot.

Following a tradition dating back to the 1500s, tunnel boring machines are named after women to bring good fortune and safe passage underground. The four machines excavating the 16-kilometre twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley will include TBM Aayushi, named after health advocate and medical student Aayushi Khillan, founder of social enterprise Body Buddies, and TBM Belinda, named after steam train driver and medical student Belinda McKenzie, the first woman to drive Melbourne’s historic Puffing Billy.

The remaining machines honour women whose contributions span health, transport, science and community leadership, reinforcing the project’s focus on diversity and recognition.

This milestone reflects ACCIONA’s ongoing role in delivering complex tunnelling works for SRL East while supporting initiatives that engage young people, celebrate achievement and build a more inclusive construction industry for the future.