HS2 construction updates

[snowball]

Longish piece from the Observer on HS2 archaeology

Ticket to Roman Britain: HS2’s route to ancient history

HS2 has been controversial – but it has also given rise to more than 100 digs, unearthing entire lost towns

www.theguardian.com

HS2 may have been controversial, but it has also given rise to the biggest archaeological excavation in British history. With more than 100 digs, entire lost towns have been unearthed along the route – radically changing our understanding of the ancient past

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

HS2 Ltd has updated the position of TBM Dorothy at Long Itchington.
On February 28 it was at 170m (of the 1510m tunnel), an advance of 28m since February 14, or 2m/day.
No update on the Chiltern TBMs.
There doesn't seem to be a coordinated report of progress, but of course different contractors are involved.

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

Edit: another update for Dorothy was posted on March 7: 194m, or 3.4m/day in the last week.
Looks like they are posting progress weekly.
Still no update on the Chiltern TBMs since Feb 21/22.

 

[chiltern trev]

https://nationaltradesmen.co.uk/202...rking-on-hs2-leaves-sites-amid-cash-shortage/

Massive civil engineering contractor Road Bridge has stopped working on the flagship HS2 project after it is hit with cash issues the company which has a direct labour force of more than 1,600 people has refused to comment.​

Across HS2 sites on Thursday Roadbridge’s fleet of plant is being packed-up amid speculation of the company going into administration.


Many of the employees are also understood to have been let go at sites in Ireland and Scotland, the Limerick based Roadbridge has offices in England, Scotland and Wales and has been in business for more than 50 years.


Roadbridge has been seeking an investor in the business for some time with a deal with a “white knight” buyer understood to have collapsed earlier this week.


One source said: “Word has been doing the round for a while that Roadbridge were in trouble and suddenly today hundreds of workers at HS2 were told to go home.


“A lot of money is owed to suppliers on what is the country’s flagship civils job.


“All of the plant has been packed up to one side on the site and it looks like it will be on its way somewhere.”


Roadbridge owns one of the largest in-house plant fleets in Europe which is the company’s main asset.

 

[Mikey C]

Ironic that a major rail project is being badly hampered by the troubles at a contractor named Roadbridge

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

HS2 Ltd has posted a media item on progress in the Chiltern Tunnels, confirming that TBMs Florence and Cecilia have reached the Chalfont St Peter vent shaft.
There's an embedded video which shows how the workers reach the TBMs using MSVs (multi service vehicles), and also the construction of cross-passages between the two tunnels.

HS2 tunnelling machines reach Chalfont St Peter ventilation shaft

Two enormous Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) excavating HS2’s longest tunnels have completed the first stage of their drive – from the Chiltern tunnel’s south portal to the first ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter Download latest photos of the Chiltern tunnel and Chalfont St Peter vent shaft...

mediacentre.hs2.org.uk

HS2 this week confirmed that the two enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machines digging the high speed rail project’s tunnels under the Chilterns have completed the first stage, up to the ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter.
This major achievement means that a combined total of over 3.6 miles has now been dug by the two machines – named Florence and Cecilia – since they launched from the southern end of the tunnels last summer.

The MSVs look very swish and clever as people-movers underground - a bit like those strange mobile lounge pod things they use at Washington Dulles airport.
It seems the TBMs have been through a spell of maintenance, which explains the apparently slow progress recently.
There's no hint that the Roadbridge contractor failure is having any impact on the tunnelling, though I'm sure they wouldn't tell us anyway.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Mar 2022 ==


Edit:
HS2 Ltd has posted progress for the two Chiltern TBMs today (March 15), the first update for 3 weeks.
Florence is at 2996m (+100m), and Cecilia is at 2923m (+436m).
Presumably they are both now at/past the Chalfont St Peter vent shaft.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Latest 6montly repirt to parliament released.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hs2-6-monthly-report-to-parliament-march-2022

Schedule on track but more cost creep. Apparently rolling stock contract under budget (currently).

 

[Purple Orange]

Latest 6montly repirt to parliament released.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hs2-6-monthly-report-to-parliament-march-2022

Schedule on track but more cost creep. Apparently rolling stock contract under budget (currently).

I read it as the forecast outturn remaining within the range of landing under £44.6m.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I read it as the forecast outturn remaining within the range of landing under £44.6m.

OK thats correct within funding envelope at they 5.4B of contingency within that amount but over the last six months, ie since last report issue, HS2 have eaten into this pot by another 0.9B (£0.5 billion from increase in contingency drawdown plus £0.4 billion from potential further cost pressures).

The minister then states

Whilst these pressures are manageable within the target cost given the remaining contingency, I am nonetheless concerned at the rate of their increase. I expect HS2 Ltd to maintain its focus on delivery to the target cost.

Also HS2 have made efficiencies against rolling stock contract (lets see how that plays out) so the situation would have been worse. Also like Crossrail NR is already bleeding them for more funding up another 0.2B this report to deal with interfaces at Old Oak and Euston.

So still plenty of headroom but we are barely a year into full construction so could easily get consumed. In the round good though progress being made.

 

[The Ham]

OK thats correct within funding envelope at they 5.4B of contingency within that amount but over the last six months, ie since last report issue, HS2 have eaten into this pot by another 0.9B (£0.5 billion from increase in contingency drawdown plus £0.4 billion from potential further cost pressures).

The minister then states


Also HS2 have made efficiencies against rolling stock contract (lets see how that plays out) so the situation would have been worse. Also like Crossrail NR is already bleeding them for more funding up another 0.2B this report to deal with interfaces at Old Oak and Euston.

So still plenty of headroom but we are barely a year into full construction so could easily get consumed. In the round good though progress being made.

A fair assessment, however even if HS2 costs a little more than the budget (say) 5% more then it'll be a draw in terms of claims from either side. Those opposed will be able to claim that it went over budget whilst those who support it will claim that the cost estimates that those opposed to it clung to where wildly wrong.

Even a 10% increase in costs would probably be small enough that future HS lines would find it easier to get built. As it's not hard to find cost estimates citing 20% or more than the budget.

That's not too say that HS2 shouldn't try to be within budget, just that it'll not be disastrous if there's some small overrun in costs.

 

[snowball]

Modern Railways magazine, April issue, has, at the bottom of pages 54-55, a picture of the abutments under construction for the bridge that will carry East-West Rail over HS2 at Calvert.

 

[swt_passenger]

Modern Railways magazine, April issue, has, at the bottom of pages 54-55, a picture of the abutments under construction for the bridge that will carry East-West Rail over HS2 at Calvert.

And it’s pretty massive isn’t it. I don’t think gauge or wiring clearance will be an issue…

 

[bnc2018]

Was on a cycle yesterday and happened (complete coincidence of course) to parallel the HS2 route for a bit. First photo is looking towards Aylesbury from Blackgrove road just north of Waddesdon. Second and third are looking south and north along the old GC line between Quainton and Edgott, and then the fourth and fifth are of the EWR overbridge at Calvert mentioned in #1211, first side on and then further along the road looking along the route. I'm guessing there's a passing loop here because the abutments are really far apart. In the end I got a puncture from a pothole just outside the entrance to the Calvert worksite which has dampened my enthusiasm for all the construction a bit!

 

[Bald Rick]

I'm guessing there's a passing loop here because the abutments are really far apart.

just the two tracks on HS2 underneath the EWR bridge.

however at the road bridges east and west of there, there are link lines from HS2 to the infrastructure maintenance depot which will be based at Calvert, so those road bridges will be long.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

More TBM progress from HS2 Ltd:
Florence on Mar 23: 3212m (+216m since Mar 15, 27m/day)
Cecilia on Mar 23: 3131m (+208m since Mar 15, 26m/day)
Dorothy 346m on Mar 25 (+116m since Mar 15, 11.6m/day)

All these rates are significantly higher than anything previously reported, so they seem to be getting a move on.
Cecilia is only 81m behind Florence in the Chiltern tunnels.

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

 

[Yindee8191]

More TBM progress from HS2 Ltd:
Florence on Mar 23: 3212m (+216m since Mar 15, 27m/day)
Cecilia on Mar 23: 3131m (+208m since Mar 15, 26m/day)
Dorothy 346m on Mar 25 (+116m since Mar 15, 11.6m/day)

All these rates are significantly higher than anything previously reported, so they seem to be getting a move on.
Cecilia is only 81m behind Florence in the Chiltern tunnels.

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

Does this mean that the two Chiltern TBMs have finished their maintenance break at the first shaft?

 

[matacaster]

Latest 6montly repirt to parliament released.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hs2-6-monthly-report-to-parliament-march-2022

Schedule on track but more cost creep. Apparently rolling stock contract under budget (currently).

Perhaps they've removed ALL padding from the seats to save money?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Does this mean that the two Chiltern TBMs have finished their maintenance break at the first shaft?

Yes it looks like it.
I'm not sure the data is reliable though, the recent rates look "too high" to me, maybe the date stamps are off.
The next update will give a better guide. Maybe there will be pauses at each shaft site.
The average since the start is 10-11m per day, which is rather less than the predicted 15m/day.

I see from a recent RAIL article that Dorothy, the TBM at Long Itchington, is of a different design to cope with local geology, and the design is important for the longer (3.5km) Bromford tunnel needed further north.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Mar 2022 ==


Edit:
Another Chiltern TBM update for Mar 29, only 6 days since the last:
Florence: 3342m (+130m)
Cecilia: 3253m (+122m).
So these TBMs are maintaining progress of 20m+ per day.
It gets them both past the "2-mile" point of the 10-mile tunnel.

 

[Jozhua]

Perhaps they've removed ALL padding from the seats to save money?

Well, at least you won't be on the train for very long

 

[snowball]

I see from a recent RAIL article that Dorothy, the TBM at Long Itchington, is of a different design to cope with local geology, and the design is important for the longer (3.5km) Bromford tunnel needed further north.

I think most TBMs are custom designed for the geology they will be going through.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

More Chiltern TBM progress for April 11:
Florence 3452m
Cecilia 3413m
Progress has slowed from the recent high rates, but Cecilia is now only 39m behind Florence.

At Long Itchington, where progress is reported more frequently, Dorothy was at 462m on April 8, or about one third through its 1.5km bore.
It is also boring at a much faster rate than previously (17m/day).

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

 

[The Ham]

I've started a new thread on the potential reintroduction of cycle facilities alongside HS2:

HS2 cycleway

It looks like the government is looking again at providing a cycleway alongside HS2 again by asking contractors to repurpose their access roads to do so: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hs2-contractors-to-turn-temporary-roads-into-320km-cycle-path-20-04-2022/ HS2 | Contractors to...

www.railforums.co.uk

I mention it here as it's talking about repurposing the construction access roads, so in theory could already be started to be built!

 

[DaveHarries]

https://nationaltradesmen.co.uk/202...rking-on-hs2-leaves-sites-amid-cash-shortage/

Roadbridge is officially no more. I wonder who will take on the HS2 work but whoever it is I hope the now former employees of Roadbridge are able to get back into work soon.

Civils contractor Roadbridge placed in receivership

Irish civils contractor Roadbridge and its UK subsidiary have been placed in receivership with 215 UK jobs at risk. Nigel Morrison, Stuart Preston and

www.constructionnews.co.uk

Dave

 

[Snow1964]

There is quite an interesting article on how a number of big construction projects are going wrong and being delayed because software development wasn’t commenced early enough, and it uses Crossrail as one of its examples.

I am copying it here, into HS2 thread, because although comments are being made about digging tunnels etc, not hearing anything about the software needed to run tunnel safety systems, or the signalling etc. This seems to be a repeat of Crossrail (which we all know ended up 3-4 years late as working software wasn’t ready)

For Crossrail the project started in 2008, by 2012 all the reporting was on digging the tunnels with nothing about the software needed to make the trains run and control the safety systems when it opened, wasn’t until 2015 that this started to cause concerns.

The article uses a number of diagrams, so not going to quote text without being able to include the illustrating diagram that it refers to

Why Is My Infrastructure Project Delayed By Software Bugs

Why Is My Infrastructure Project Delayed By Software Bugs

www.hka.com

HKA is a global consultancy in risk mitigation with multi-disciplinary expertise

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Progress reports on TBM positions seem to have become weekly, although on different dates for the two current projects.
On April 25 Florence was at 3850m and Cecilia at 3767m in the Chiltern tunnels.
Both are making very good progress at about 25m/day.

Dorothy is at 710m in the first Long Itchington tunnel, close to the half-way point.
Progress has increased seemingly to something like 40m/day here.

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Progress reports on TBM positions seem to have become weekly, although on different dates for the two current projects.
On April 25 Florence was at 3850m and Cecilia at 3767m in the Chiltern tunnels.
Both are making very good progress at about 25m/day.

Dorothy is at 710m in the first Long Itchington tunnel, close to the half-way point.
Progress has increased seemingly to something like 40m/day here.

Interactive route map

Explore the interactive HS2 route map to see the railway, stations and construction works and find information about HS2 activity in your local area.

www.hs2.org.uk

Nice steady progress is good.

 

[city dweller]

Bridge demolition taking place to clear the route for HS2.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Impressive.
As I understand it from the videos:
That's a new bridge on the Stechford-Aston line where it crosses the Midland route, largely replacing the former viaduct.
HS2 towards Curzon St will run under the southern half of this bridge (Midland line runs under the northern half).
A connection from the HS2 rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath will be in there somewhere too, to the east of the new bridge.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Evening Standard from 3 days ago had an item that HS2 want to use lorries now to deliver Euston materials and not rail adding 25k road movements into the area to save money. HS2 say they will have to payout too much compensation to operators but given its all govt cash now this is a pathetic excuse and doesn't do the industry any favour nor enhance HS2 going about saying we will be the greenest railway ever.

 

[city dweller]

That's a new bridge on the Stechford-Aston line where it crosses the Midland route, largely replacing the former viaduct.
HS2 towards Curzon St will run under the southern half of this bridge (Midland line runs under the northern half).
A connection from the HS2 rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath will be in there somewhere too, to the east of the new bridge.

Aston Church Road Overbridge is also due to be replaced at some point.

 

[takno]

Aston Church Road Overbridge is also due to be replaced at some point.

View attachment 113879


View attachment 113880

Oh, the use of "to" instead of "too" there is winding me up...