Abandoned Tunnel Boring Machine - Exploring an Unfinished Metro Tunnel 

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The Proper People are what I want to enjoy doing - but I’m too scared so I’ll stay indoors and watch.

I worked in other sections of that subway, I had been in that tunnelling machine many times, it's the same one that drilled the section from Can Zam to La Sagrera stations, was disassembled there and carried to that part. Many of the tunnel sections you show (the ones vertically divided) are already finished, just waiting for the rails and the trains. However, the stations in that area had to be done after the tunnel passed, and the side of the tunnel disassembled to allow for the platforms to be constructed. In that part of the city, the works were stopped due to the "upper side" of the city filling complaints and threatening legal action for hypothetical damages to their homes, so the works were stopped more than 10 years ago and never resumed. There are talks to resume it, but many people living in the upper side care not for "peasant transportation", and will do whatever they can to stop it. The worst is that part of the construction cost for those projects was to be offset by selling the tunnelling machine after the project was finished. Being abandoned like this, the cost will have dropped dramatically, despite being a good machine back in the day. Bonus track: When I was in the other section in 2004, that same machine had to stop near the Fondo station due to sandy terrain. If the machine moved forward there was a high risk that a whole block would be swallowed by the tunnel. The machine was stopped and the terrain had to be stabilised by jet grouting (injecting concrete into the sand to make it solid, allowing the machine to continue excavating without risk of collapsing. The losses by the construction company (and, by extension, the government) were estimated in tens of millions in those 3-4 months the machine was stopped. Now it's been more than 10 years, so...

I always enjoy a good engineering/industrial site explore by you guys.

I worked on the Seattle tunnel project and this brings back memories. The boring machine we used was heavily computer controlled. The sensor monitor room was part of the machine, it was bigger than the one these guys found, it was sealed and on vibration mounts, you never could tell the machine was in operation, right adjacent to the computer room there was a clean break room and sleeping areas for 6 people. The rooms were divided 2 per partition. There was a shower, toilet, television with cable. They made us work 10 hour shifts even on Christmas, the logic was we couldn't refuse if we were already there. Just like this machine, there were crew safety bunkers for the construction crew and the computer staff was supposed to use the sleeping quarters as their bunker, I guess it would have worked it did have emergency air tanks on the back end. I remember coming out of there after 28 days, I would get headaches when outside, my eyes suffered temporary shock or something.

As a former equipment operator, some of those machines are not decade old. I see one that's at most two years old without any signs of standstill aging. I assume they are still working, when they have money at the time, stop when they don't. I've been on similar projects.

19:20 that tunnel looked WAY smaller until he started walking down that piping, then you see the scale of just how giant that is. Before there was a person for scale, on camera it looked almost like you'd need to bend down to walk through that.

18:14 there’s something about this part of the video that I just adore. The music and the dripping water with the massive empty concrete room that stretches all the way up to the surface is for some reason so hypnotizing to me. This kind of thing is what makes me keep coming back to this channel.

It's hilarious that the cookie containers are internationally ubiquitous for storing screws and other small things

The tunnel with the water looked small until they crawled down and walked in the pipe. Amazing stuff

Sanitoriums, orphanages, mansions and research labs... but I never expected an abandoned metro tunnel. Very neato :>

20:50 it looks like you lost a flash light or something like it. As you slid down it can be seen falling between the rocks. Hope you found it on the way out because that’d be a long walk just to get a flash light back

I love how distinct and foreboding the music is in every video. Really lends to the feeling of abandonment in the atmosphere that surrounds most of the places being explored.

Rubble piles are the worst. The largest boulders seem to be the most unstable. Always have backup flashlights 🙂

Between this and other such sites, I get the impression Spain is really proficient in creating hugely expensive construction ruins. But this is a really special explore and I'm glad I'm seeing it PP style!

Is it just me or is this one of the most daredevil ones you guys have done? I know in some of the old buildings there's always the danger of a floor collapse but somehow the suspense in this one was off the charts. keep up the good work

26:46 That butter cookie tin..... we are living in a simulation and the programmer is like... "ok so we got a tool shed workshop, we need a butter cookie tin for nuts and bolts."

I'm glad to hear they will continue the tunnel. All that work would have been such a waste if they never finished it.

The front of the machine was pressurised because the ground being excavated was below the water table and would collapse under normal pressure hence the airlock.

These tunnels have that old aperture labs look and feel. The structures and engineering is imposing and threatening. An awesome exploration right there

The reason that segmented lining was built and then removed is because the tunnel boring machine has to have the complete concrete ring built to push against, to move itself forward. It wouldn't be strong enough with a big piece missing from the ring.

A boring machine, but an amazing video. :D

Some information on the net says that the Barcelona Line 9 TBM had two "Earth Pressure Balance" Shields with a diameter of 9.37 meters, and two with a diameter of 12.06 meters. At the time of its operation in Seattle the Bertha TBM had the largest cutterhead ever built, with a diameter of 17.5 meters, and the whole machine had a length of 99 meters. After it completed boring the tunnel and broke out into the disassembly vault, it was cut up into scrap metal for removal. It was built specifically for boring one tunnel, and there was no practical way that it could be reused anywhere else.

i work for a tunnelling company and what you seen is very rare for the average person too see. hope you had air monitors on as there can be some very dangerous gas/ lack of C02 in those tunnels.

Wow, the beginning of the episode really looks like an apocalyptic movie with the color of the sky and everything. Great job as always and keep up the amazing urbex!

Industrial engineering exploration with a large dose of sketchy sections. Awesome video guys 👍🏻

I'm glad that you guys were able to get to see the tunnels before the company announced that construction is restarting. It's great that the company didn't completely abandoned a project that they were working on. I wonder how are the tunnels going to look like after construction is completed.

I always love when there's a long intro of them just getting to the area they're trying to explore. It really makes it seem like they're traveling to a different realm or something.

Seeing that machine in action would be insane. It must be so loud and hot when it’s on

If you want to understand how this specific machine works, there is an animated video describing how it works: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MZsbFycQ0Vo.html Here is a video of a tour through a similar machine being used in London: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-izLHTYaJrho.html

No matter where in the world you might be. When you walk into a workshop there's always butter cookies tin in there. And it always seems to be from the same company. And it doesn't matter what kind of workshop it is, even if the workshop has no use for them. The tin always has miscellaneous bolts, or screws. I'm surprised no one has come up with some crazy theory to explain it. 🤔

They left boring machines in the Super Collider in Waxahachie Texas it was a 54 mile long Particle Collider that was abandoned in 1993 by congress and all the equipment got left down there at 164 ft to 575 ft under ground.

Guys, one of THE coolest explores so far, right up there with the blast furnace! The industrial ones are my favourite, though I would have been so claustrophobic on this one! Great job as always.

this entire video is fantastic, but the sound quality is absolutely amazing. it sounds like im in a movie theatre.

To going into abounded nuclear reactor and a unfinished metro tunnel you guys deserve more credit.

The dripping water in the huge tunnel going up was awesome to listen to. The machine reminded me of Ocean's 13...though given how huge the machine you were on was...I now realize how impossible it probably is for one person to run one of those machines like in the movie (I know it's a movie and it's all fake but yeah...).

It's crazy how much engineering, work, money, and time goes into building a metro tunnel, just for it to be abandoned.

This is one of the most epic videos to date, its so cool just how massive the tunnel. Another thing how did they even get heavy equipment down there.

30:36 - Missed opportunity for "Chairs just drilling".

Thank you guys for filming all this! As a mechanic, I've always wondered A) How big the machine actually is, B) What the *F* the inner workings look like, and C) how the workers traversed the machine! GREAT JOB! And thank you! I love your videos!

That space around 14:00 reminds me of that giant drainage thing you have to get down in Mirror's Edge. In fact, this whole video reminds me of that game lol. Love it

Love me some exploration videos. A lot cooler than people trying to fake haunted locations.

The fact that some of us little humans have built all that huge machinery and it somehow works is so mind-blowing to me wow

This is something I NEVER expected to see in my lifetime. Absolutely amazing footage! Thanks guys!

@20:51 did you retrieve whatever fell from dudes bag? I watch a lot of your explorations and I must say this one is one of the best. Imagine the money just wasted here... Thanks for the video and the time it takes to create, edit and UL these for me to live vicariously through you guys...

"They build it to destroy it" - you read my mind watching the amount of stuff that will have to be removed one day. Great video.

This is probably the coolest exploration I've ever seen.

You guys are so underrated, I love the 4K cinematic shots you take of all the run down and abandoned places you’ve explored, and watching these videos is really surreal, you guys make me want to do this stuff myself lol.

I can’t tell ya just how much I love the underground/industrial type videos. Please bring back the cave exploration series that was insane!

Hope you went back for your phone when it fell out @20:50 when you fell. But other than that, great exploration!

I freaked myself out by imagining the sounds of the machine starting to come to life and fill the front bit with water when you went up there

So nice of them to leave the lights on for you!

Wow that place is crazy, you could feel the tension the first few minutes. And that tunnel... Mustve been exhasting being there for five hours. Great explore as always!

That place is the definition of a video game, especially at the beginning when it was half open construction with water everywhere. Love u guy's vids, keep it up and stay safe :)

I'm pleased to see U guys didn't do what a few kids did a months back at this same location...they thought it'd be cool to start up a transport vehicle for the workers and drove it a mile or so and smashed into TBM framework and eventually got it stuck high side and left it idling...U guys were definitely trying to maintain low profile but the echo in those tunnels is tremendously resilient and I'm pretty sure those rent-a-jokes are too lazy to come down after anyone...Stay Gold🍻

I am amazed at how much lighting is active in an unused and unfinished tunnel.

At 18:15 that’s a cat next gen excavator. Caterpillar came out with those in 2019-2020. Judging by the condition of the machine, it hasn’t been there very long…

Absolutely phenomenal work this was amazing!

Typically those tunnels are made with 48 differently dimensioned concrete segments. They're gasketed and bolted together to do whatever routing needs to be done. I love tunnels. You can also find an abandoned 9 foot machine in Tacoma, WA....no doubt flooded. It got stuck and the French company abandoned it and went bankrupt because of it. That was for storm water drainage into Puget Sound. Each segment was 3 to 6 cubic yards of concrete. There were over 100,000 segments in each tunnel. 9 foot, 11 foot and 14 foot. 3 tunnels

I think my favorite video of the proper people is the 2-part mine one from a few years ago. But this one is surprisingly haunting too, it has a unique ambience and to think all of it is under a living city. Wish we could follow the friends who accompained you here on youtube too.

The scale and how deep you are is just so crazy! I work in public transit construction, so this was a nice change of pace. Thank you for sharing.

Excellent, perfect way to unwind after a Monday at work!

That little jab you took about the (haunted) tunnel Mike... I legit fkn died 😂 Thanks for being a purist

I'm a bit surprised to hear they are going to haul the pieces of that old TBM back up to the surface. Some of the Canadian tunnel projects I've heard about involved tunneling the machine into a new leg of the tunnel it drills its way into. Then it is encapsulated within for eternity! The modern history tour was great, many thanks to The Proper People :)

What an amazing experience for you all. It also was so interesting to me. Making that tunnel was not done as I thought. Very educational to me. Thanks for taking us along.

At this point, that TBM has been there for long enough that it would need a major refurbishment to bring it back online, if that's even possible. There's a massive cost involved in getting that thing moving again. They really should have completed the tunnel at a bare minimum, even if they did not build the stations right away. 18:04 The TBM needs something to push against. That might explain why theses rings were built. 26:20 Theses types of safety rooms are often motorised and able to roll down the tunnel to a safe location.

Enjoyed that thanks for taking us with you guys

I've known about these machines but, the scale of them is pretty awesome. It's amazing what the do. Dig, put up walls and everything. Very massive machines. It's nice to see one up close...Thanks as normal !

16:44 FYI - The word “mile” comes from the Latin "mille passus”, meaning one thousand paces, and a mile was 1,000 Roman strides, a stride being two paces. Don't think of it like 5280 feet, think of it like two thousand steps. Perfect for that tunnel.

This felt like one of the most "URBAN" explores that The Proper People have done. I know they explore a lot of places in the middle of urban areas, but they always start after they are already in the building and the buildings are pretty much completely abandoned. With them climbing over fences and stuff in the middle of a city, the modern industrial equipment, the lights still on in the tunnel; it felt way more urban and suspenseful than most of their videos. I really love this video.

Very impressive. Its amazing how massive this thing is and far far underground it goes. Looking up those shaves is truly breathtaking. I would have worn boots if I had know there was so much water, but even that might not do it considering how deep it is.

Wow, all that lighting still lit all the time, 24/7 and I'm buying LEDs for all my lighting to safe a couple kWh per year. It's madness.

man i wish when i was younger we had cell phones to record out adventures like this. Thanks for the entertainment boys and risking health and possible trouble with the law. god bless

I just recently found this channel and you guys are hands down one of the coolest channels I have seen on this site. Good stuff.

That was by far the coolest thing you guys have done. Great exploration!!

I have only watches 7 minutes and this video is already one of the best. It feels so real. I know you guys really go to these places but, this video is so surreal and captivating. I feel like im in some kind of exploration video game and its fantastic. I forgot to mention the audio. Great choices to bring it all together.

This is one of the cooler ones you guys have done, especially in scale. I worked construction at DIA Airport in Denver many years ago and our tunnels were way smaller. Thanks for this great work!

Great content as always this looked like a cool one to explore i cant wait for more

This has to be one of the most incredible spaces you guys have explored, just by sheer size.

That was an amazing adventure for me! I can't imagine how cool that must have been for y'all. Thank you for this. I really enjoy watching these videos. I really loved the metal gear solid style snaeking past the guards when the train rolled by. That was great.

Those huge shafts are usually just for access while tunnels are built. It's the first thing that gets built and is used to lower the tunnel boring machines and other equipment.

Love all the episodes you guys put out but this was one of the best in a while!

I hope I don't have nightmares in my sleep being LOST in that tunnel. YIKES ! Thanks for another outstanding adventure !

I think they made a tv show about this thing. Like mega structures or something like that. The thing literally makes the concrete blocks and installs them as it creeps forward

Really love the vibes and ambiance in this one guys, definitely a different kind of exploration for your channel! I can’t wait to see what the rest of your recent Spain trip has in store. Keep up the great content!

Love you guys from Australia 🇦🇺 Always awesome content. Thankyou!🙏

The intro of you guys prepping to climb over (with the camera wobble) almost felt like i was watching quality CGI in some spec ops game.

Brilliant I have spent most of my working life on these machines

Truly wonderful that you guys are able to gain access and explore these amazing places and spaces .

I love how oreos are part of the essentials for urbex.

I don't know what's more existentially saddening; an old abandoned site that is well past its better days & just left to decay or the wasted potential of some place that never fulfilled its intended purpose. To me, it's about all that energy & time that was put into something that now doesn't matter anymore.

One of the most interesting explorations you guy's have done! Great to tag along watching in this video!

I can't even describe it but this one was so good. The wind, the lighting, the big empty shots. It just feels so barren. Same vibes as URU if anyone remembers that game lmao

Seems like your in the world or Fallout but in real life watch out for Mirelurks down there! Also keep an eye out for Feral Ghouls to.

You guys are equal parts brave, curious, and crazy, lol. This was wild, man!

This was absolutely amazing for you guys to experience. Thank you for bringing me a long.

20:48 Oh no! Was that a flashlight that fell down when you slipped dow the rubble pile…?? It slipped down between the rocks.

I know this video is going to be good and I haven't even watched it yet. 🔥 Thanks guys for continuing to put out amazing content!

That equipment isn’t that old it’s new stuff. That cat excavator is practically brand new because they just recently changed to that logo within the last year or so.

I love those lights you guys use. They really bright and light up everything so your videos are interesting. The best news was at the end when you said they did start working on this again. What a remarkable feat of engineering!