The Spanish National Railway Infrastructure Company ADIF upgraded the railway connection between Madrid and Valencia in eastern Spain for the highspeed traffic. The Cabrera Tunnel is part of the expansion project with two parallel tunnels, each 7.2 kilometers in length, crossing the limestone of the Sierra de la Cabrera. Approx. 6,000 meters of each section were to be driven by machine.

The Herrenknecht S-373 Double Shield is optimally suited for this kind of geological conditions. Since the start of excavation in July 2007, the machine achieved world records in hard rock with a best daily advance rate of 105.6 meters and a best weekly advance rate of 464 meters. After a best monthly performance of 1,000 installed segment rings achieved in November 2007, the tunnelling and lining with concrete segments was completed in the first tunnel in January 2008. Further on, the team did an excellent job on the second drive. On September 25, 2008, the Herrenknecht Double Shield excavated the last meters of rock and reached its target.

The new connection from Madrid to the mediterranean coast was put into operation in 2010. The travel time from Madrid to Valencia is reduced by four hours to one and a half hours.

Línea de alta velocidad Madrid-Levante (Spanish)