High-speed rail network HS2 is celebrating completing half of its 8.4-mile Northolt Tunnel.
Four tunnel boring machines (TBM) are working to complete the tunnel that will carry trains between HS2’s station at Old Oak Common to West Ruislip.
The first machine, named Sushila after a local teacher, was launched eastwards from West Ruislip in October 2022 and one month later was joined by TBM Caroline, named after astrologer Caroline Herschel for another tunnel next to it.
HS2 said that both will complete their journeys at the Green Park Way vent shaft in Greenford.
Earlier this year in February TBM Emily, which is named after Emily Sophia Taylor, began the journey from HS2’s Victoria Road Crossover Box site near Old Oak Common towards Greenford and was then joined by a fourth machine, named Anne, after Lady Anne Byron, in May.
Malcolm Codling, client director for HS2 Ltd said: “Our London tunnels team are making significant progress taking HS2 from design to reality underneath the capital, building Britain’s new transformational low carbon railway. Completing half of the Northolt Tunnel has come after years of work from the team and we are now looking forwards to the TBMs reaching the end of their journeys, with the first arriving at Green Park Way in Greenford later this year. “
The Northolt Tunnel is being built by a joint venture formed of the companies Skanska, Costain and STRABAG (SCS).
James Richardson, managing director of Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture, said: “Reaching the halfway point of our tunnelling programme for the Northolt Tunnel demonstrates the huge progress achieved to date on one of the most complex and ambitious programmes embarked upon in the UK. Alongside the tunnelling operations we are now moving into the fitout stage of the works in readiness for track and rail systems to be installed.
“At Old Oak Common, we are gearing up to assemble and install our final two TBMs, ready to take the high-speed line into central London.”
