HS2 - 2024 - End of Year Progress Report – Heavy Lift News
31 Dec 2024

HS2 – 2024 – End of Year Progress Report

The progress made to deliver HS2 is outlined today in figures showing that the majority of the deep tunnel drives and earthworks needed for the high-speed railway have now been completed.

Despite the programme’s challenges, a considerable amount of work has been carried out on the civil engineering that will lay the foundations for the 140-mile line between London and the West Midlands.

Figures show that 70 per cent of twin-bore tunnels have been excavated to date, representing 38 of the 55 miles being built for the railway. This includes the breakthrough earlier this year of the two giant machines (pictured below) used to dig the 10-mile Chiltern Tunnel – the longest and deepest on the route.

 

 

In all, five out of 12 tunnel drives have been completed. The most recent was the first of four machines being used to dig the Northolt Tunnel in north-west London, which finished its drive on 19 December.

The figures show that 58 per cent of earthworks for the railway’s cuttings, embankments, stations and landscaping have been completed. It represents almost 92 million cubic metres of material moved in total so far. This includes the extensive progress made in central Birmingham to prepare for construction of the city’s Curzon Street station (below).

 

HS2 lays the foundations for Birmingham’s new rail hub – Curzon Street Station

 

Additionally, work has started on construction of 158 out of 227 viaducts and bridges – 70 per cent – with 13 already built. In September, HS2 completed the deck of the 2.1-mile Colne Valley Viaduct – the UK’s longest rail bridge that will carry the railway over a series of lakes and waterways on the north-west outskirts of London.

Progress has also been made on the six cut-and-cover – or green – tunnels being built on the route, with the 700m tunnel near Burton Green in Warwickshire (below) passing the half-way mark in November.

 

Aerial view Burton Green Tunnel – HS2 reaches halfway point

 

HS2 Construction Update    (16 Pages)

The figures are outlined in HS2 Ltd’s new Construction Update which was published on 30 December 2024.

 

Members of the tunnelling team inside the cutterhead at the breakthrough of TBM Cecilia at Chiltern tunnel

 

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