Founded in 1977 by Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht in Schwanau, Germany, Herrenknecht AG is the undisputed global market and technology leader in mechanized tunneling systems. Specializing in underground construction engineering, the company manufactures custom-built Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) ranging from 0.10 to 19 meters in diameter, alongside specialized vertical shaft sinking machinery, underground logistics vehicles, and separation plants.

Herrenknecht has delivered the mechanized cutting technology for virtually every modern landmark rail tunneling feat. Its Gripper TBMs excavated all four main drive tubes of Switzerland’s historic 57-kilometer Gotthard Base Tunnel through extreme Alpine hard-rock overburdens. In contemporary high-speed rail delivery, Herrenknecht multi-mode and slurry shields are driving the Brenner Base Tunnel between Austria and Italy, major long-distance twin-bore lots for High Speed 2 (HS2) across the United Kingdom, and the massive subterranean networks of the Grand Paris Express in France.

Beyond machine fabrication, Herrenknecht provides comprehensive digital and logistical systems for underground rail projects. This includes automated ring-erection robotics, real-time geomonitoring software, laser guidance systems (via subsidiary VMT GmbH), multi-service vehicles (MSVs), and full-lifecycle remanufacturing services, enabling EPC contractors to tunnel safely under dense urban centers and through complex geological fracture zones.