The TBM is named Ellie after Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds and will drive a tunnel from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green.

The Dragados Sisk joint venture is main contractor overseeing the 2.7km drive to form part of Crossrail’s north east spur from Whitechapel to Shenfield in Essex.

Ellie is staffed by 20 people, weighs 1,000 tonnes, is 150 metres long and 7.1 metres in diameter.

Her sister machine Jessica – named after Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill – completed the journey from Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green earlier this month.

Jessica will now be taken to Limmo Peninsula near Canning Town in east London, where she will begin Crossrail’s last tunnel drive towards Victoria Dock Portal.

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive said: “Crossrail’s continuing progress is evidence of Britain’s ability to deliver large scale infrastructure projects on time and within budget.

“It is fitting that our latest tunnelling milestone, the launch of our eighth machine, Ellie, is taking place only a short distance from the scene of some of Britain’s greatest modern sporting triumphs.”

Ellie Simmonds said: “It’s very flattering to have been chosen, alongside the amazing Jessica Ennis-Hill, as one of the inspirational women after which a TBM has been named.

“It’s not every day you have a tunnel machine named after you and I wish ‘Ellie’, and all those involved with it, the best of luck in its maiden journey.”

Crossrail recently passed the halfway point in its construction on time and within budget.

Over 30 kilometres out of 42km of bored tunnels are now complete.