Two train drivers from Avanti West Coast launched the final TBM for the Euston tunnel of the HS2 project, which will construct the second 7.2-kilometer Euston tunnel, connecting Old Oak Common station in west London with Euston, the terminus of the HS2 line.
The launch of the final of the project’s 11 TBMs “is a significant milestone in our extensive tunneling program. The TBM Karen will complete the second parallel tunnel to Euston, bringing high-speed services directly to and from the capital’s center, enabling future economic growth and regeneration,” said Alan Morris, Route Delivery Director, HS2 Ltd.
The Euston Tunnel is the second tunnel bored beneath London—after the Northolt Tunnel—and is being built by the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture. The giant tunnel-boring machine was manufactured by Herrenknecht AG, the world’s leading supplier of underground tunnels, in Germany before being shipped to the UK and reassembled in the Old Oak Common underground station box.
The Euston Tunnel, used by high-speed trains through central London
The 198-meter-long machine operates as an underground factory 24/7, excavating soil and installing concrete segments in rings to create the tunnel. In total, 48,294 concrete segments will be installed in the double-track tunnel, and 1.5 million tons of spoil will be excavated.
Each 6-ton concrete segment was manufactured by Srabag at a newly established facility in Hartlepool, UK, before being transported to the capital by rail. The Euston tunnel excavation operation is facilitated by a separate temporary logistics tunnel, which was completed in January 2024.
The 853-meter-long Atlas road logistics tunnel will allow the excavation team to access both machines, deliver construction materials, and remove excavated waste. All materials excavated from the tunnel will be transported via a conveyor to the London Logistics Center at the Euro Terminal Depot in Willesden. From there, it is transported by rail to be reused in projects in Kent, Cambridgeshire, and Warwickshire, removing over 135,000 trucks from the roads.
The TBM was launched underground from the Old Oak Common station box, 23 meters below ground. At its deepest point, the Euston Tunnel will be 66 meters below ground. Once the TBM completes its journey, it will be parked, and key components of the machine will be retrieved through the tunnel.
The Euston Tunnel will be used by high-speed trains between London Euston Station and Old Oak Common Station.
Once completed, high-speed trains will run directly to a new station in central London. The tunnel’s construction is also contributing to the regeneration of the Euston area, attracting investment and creating new housing and jobs.
Share on:
