The fourth and final tunnel boring machine (TBM) being used to build the Northolt Tunnel has been launched under London.
TBM Anne has joined three other machines digging the 8.4-mile tunnel from Victoria Road in Ealing to West Ruislip in Hillingdon to carry high-speed trains in and out of the capital.
It is named after Lady Anne Byron, an educational reformer and philanthropist who lived between 1792 and 1860.
TBM Anne will work alongside TBM Emily to bore 3.4 miles of tunnel from Victoria Road in Ealing to Greenpark Way in Greenford.
The other 5 miles of twin-bored tunnels have been under construction since 2022, with TBMs Sushila and Caroline now over halfway through their journey between West Ruislip and Greenpark Way.
The four TBMs are all set to complete their journeys in 2025 when they will be extracted through giant shafts at Greenpark Way.
“The launch of TBM Anne is a milestone moment in this year of peak activity for the HS2 London Tunnels project. With a quartet of TBMs and over 20 construction sites all making significant progress, we are on course to deliver the high-speed line into central London, creating economic growth and opportunities at every step of the way.”
The launch of TBM Anne comes as tunnelling activity on HS2 reaches a peak, with nearly 50 percent of bored tunnelling now complete between London and the West Midlands.
“HS2 has reached peak tunnelling activity as we focus on delivering the HS2 route between London and Birmingham. The launch of Anne is the culmination of many years of work for the London Tunnels team and a further triumph in British engineering.”
