The first of two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) has started work on HS2’s Euston tunnel.
To mark the occasion, rail minister Peter Hendy and chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones turned on the 1,624-tonne machine at HS2’s Old Oak Common station in west London.
The TBM, which will make a 4.5-mile journey under the capital to Euston, was manufactured by Herrenknecht AG in Germany. It was shipped to the UK in 2024 before being lifted into and reassembled in the giant underground station box at Old Oak Common.
Engineers from HS2’s London tunnels contactor, the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture (SCS JV), have been working to prepare the machines for their tunnelling mission over the last 12 months.
The machine will be used to excavate, install the concrete ring segments that form the walls, and grout them into place as it moves forward at an average speed of around 16m per day.
The tunnelling operation for the Euston tunnel is being facilitated by a separate logistics tunnel, which was completed in January 2024.
The 853m Atlas Road logistics tunnel will allow the tunnelling team to access both machines, deliver construction materials including 48,294 concrete ring segments (combined total), and remove more than 1.5 million tonnes of excavated spoil.
All the excavated material from the tunnel will be taken via conveyor to the London Logistics Hub at the Willesden Euro Terminal depot. From there, it will be taken by rail for reuse in projects in Kent, Cambridgeshire and Warwickshire.
Final TBM drives
Richard Adams, managing director of SCS JV, said: “We are delighted to be commencing our final TBM drives to build the two 4.5-mile tunnels to Euston.
“During this work, our TBMs will remove over 1.5 million tonnes of excavated material and place more than 8,000 precast rings, built in a dedicated facility in Hartlepool.
“Our tunnel segments and excavated material will all be transported by rail and managed through our state-of-the-art logistics hub. This will remove over 70,000 lorry journeys from the local road network, emphasising our commitment to being a good neighbour and greener construction.
“SCS JV has already driven 8.4 miles of twin-bore tunnels under London, from West Ruislip to Old Oak Common, and our expert teams on site will work 24/7 to deliver these final HS2 tunnel drives with the highest levels of safety and productivity.”
‘Vital move forwards’
Commenting on the announcement, TSSA – the union representing HS2 staff – general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “Clearly, the fact we are now seeing the start of tunnelling across London into Euston station is a vital move forwards for HS2.
“HS2 will be the main driver of local, regional and national economies and the only means of mass transport able to combat climate change.
“However, we have long made the case that HS2, far from being scaled back, should have been built all the way to Scotland. In truth, we need further clarity about the timetable of delivery for what is planned at present and will be asking ministers to provide more detail as soon as possible.”
