Idun and Ydun from Norse mythology. Marie Carmen and Anisette after the great female voices of South Harbour. Prop and Berta from the well-known children's story. Or Mrs Sauterne and Susan Himmelblå, which Kim Larsen immortalised with his music. These were all popular suggestions from the participants in the Metroselskabet's competition to find names for the two tunnel boring machines that will drill the two 4.5 km long tunnels for the future metro line to Sydhavn.

Before the tunnel boring machines can start working deep underground, tradition dictates that they must be given a name. This is done all over the world, just as ships are baptised before their maiden voyage. The final choice of names was decided by a panel of judges and fell on Inge and Olivia.

Inge Lehmann was a geophysicist who discovered the Earth's core 100 years ago. Inge was a strong woman in an educational world typically characterised by men. It wasn't until many years later that the unknown Danish pioneer was recognised for her groundbreaking discoveries in the underground.

Olivia Nielsen was a prominent figure in the 19th century trade union movement, where she fought to organise female workers. In 1901, she succeeded in founding the Women's Labour Union, strengthening women's pay and working conditions. In 2009, Olivia Nielsen had a road named after her in Sydhavn, which the Metro will cross under when it opens in 2024.

‘The new metro line will mean another colossal boost to public transport, and it will better connect the neighbourhood around Mozarts Plads with the rest of the city. At the same time, the Metro will make it more attractive to live and work in Sydhavnen, so there will be more mixed life in this lovely neighbourhood. It's another step towards a greener and more social Copenhagen,’ says Lord Mayor Frank Jensen (S), who attended today's naming of the two machines.

The new metro line to Sydhavn will consist of 5 underground stations from Havneholmen to Ny Ellebjerg, which will become a new transport hub. The stations will be part of the new metro line M4, which will run from Orientkaj in Nordhavn across City and on to Sydhavn. The new metro line is expected to be ready in 2024.

‘With Ny Ellebjerg as a new transport hub, it will be easy for passengers to switch to bus, regional and S-trains. This will give commuters easier access to the metro network and thus to the rest of Copenhagen. The new metro line to Sydhavn ensures a stronger and more efficient public transport network and gives Copenhageners better opportunities to get around the city faster,’ says Minister of Transport Benny Engelbrecht (S), who also attended today's christening in Sydhavn.

Metroselskabet's Chairman of the Board, Jørn Neergaard Larsen, welcomed everyone to the event, and the local priest, Heidi Røn Preem, performed the christening of the two machines.

Almost 500 people participated in Metroselskabet's naming competition. A panel of judges selected the winning names and the prize for the best entry was an invitation to attend the christening.

During the first metro construction project in 1997, the drilling machines were named Liva (Weel) and Betty (Nansen) after the two famous, deceased actresses. On the M3 line, the naming of the four drilling machines took place as a major event in 2013, where citizens were also involved in a naming competition. A panel of judges decided that the machines should be named after the old telephone exchanges in Copenhagen - Nora, Tria, Minerva and Eva.

The tunnel boring machines in Nordhavn were also named after a competition, and the final choice was Alice and Frida. Frida was the name of the first boat in the Women's Sailing Club, located in Nordhavn. Alice was the name of one of the two founders back in 1942.