HS2 has unveiled two new tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will excavate the 4.5-mile tunnels between Old Oak Common and Euston in London.
This milestone follows confirmation in the UK Budget that the high-speed rail project will extend to Euston.
The two TBMs, named Karen and Madeleine in honour of women in rail and engineering, are each 1,250 tonnes and 190 metres long. Manufactured by Herrenknecht AG in Germany, they have been transported and assembled at Old Oak Common.
These machines will take approximately 18 months to bore the twin tunnels into central London, operating around the clock to excavate and line the tunnels with pre-cast concrete.
Extending HS2 to Euston is expected to provide significant benefits. HS2 Ltd states that the new connection will:
- Improve links between London and regions in the Midlands and North
- Support regeneration in Euston, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking potential for housing developments
- Increase capacity on the high-speed rail network, enabling more frequent services to multiple destinations.
“After so much uncertainty, it’s great to finally be working with a Government that recognises the huge importance of this scheme to London and the UK, and understands why terminating HS2 at Euston is so important. It’s exciting that these tunnel boring machines will soon be getting work underway.”
HS2’s London tunnels contractor, the Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS) joint venture, will oversee tunnelling construction.
Meanwhile, final designs for Euston’s HS2 terminus are under review, with announcements on the station’s development expected soon.
