HS2 launches first giant tunnelling machine
HS2 was today launching Florence – the first of 10 tunnel boring machines that will dig 64 miles of tunnels between London and the West Midlands on phase one of the UK’s new high speed railway.
The first 170-metre TBM – the largest ever used on a UK rail project – will dig 10 miles of tunnel under the Chilterns, operating 24/7 for the next three years
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps: “The tunnels these machines dig will ensure the benefits of our new high-capacity, high-speed railway run to the great cities of the North and Midlands, forging stronger connections in our country, boosting connectivity and skills opportunities, and transforming our transport links.”
The launch of the 2,000-ton machine was at HS2’s South Portal site next to the M25 in Buckinghamshire.
The event was being attended by HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson and HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston.
More than 16,000 jobs and over 500 apprenticeships are already being supported by the HS2 project.
Mr Shapps said: “The launch of the first giant tunnelling machine on HS2 is not only a landmark moment for the project, but the ground-breaking evidence that shows our commitment to levelling up transport links across the UK, supporting thousands of jobs and hundreds of apprenticeships in the process.”
Named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale – a name suggested by local children due to her residence at nearby Claydon House in Bucks, and chosen in a public vote – the TBM will dig the first of a pair of 10 mile long tunnels under the Chiltern hills and help to safeguard the woodland and wildlife habitats above ground.
A second machine Cecilia will launch next month.