HS2 TBM Progress

[PLY2AYS]

My misremembering - having a senior moment!
But Mary Ann finished her Bromford drive on May 20, so definitely not rolling.
Elizabeth is the last TBM in production, until the Euston pair start up.

Have we got a date or timescale for Euston tunnelling @TBMEngineer? Or still up in the air?

 

[mythnormadman]

Definitely states Mary Ann on the HS2 website.

Depends on which page you look at. On this page

HS2’s latest tunnel breakthrough – and the progress of our remaining giant tunnelling machines

“Good HS2 see you” ran the headline in the Sun last week as ‘Florence’ broke through at the end of her three-year-long drive under the Chilterns.

mediacentre.hs2.org.uk

It says :

"In the midlands, Dorothy dug the first half of the relatively short Long Itchington Wood tunnel, before being turned around and sent back to complete the twin bore in March 2023.

She’s now been reconditioned, renamed Elizabeth, and is now at work on the Bromford tunnel on the approach to central Birmingham. She joined sister machine, named Mary Ann, and together they will excavate the 3.5 mile tunnels."

 

[TBMEngineer]

Have we got a date or timescale for Euston tunnelling @TBMEngineer? Or still up in the air?

Up in the air
There’s talk of January launch and also talk of may launch.
but up in the air generally

 

[stuving]

A new video short has been posted, doesn't say exactly where it is, but it is alongside the Central line (there is a train going past at one point), so possibly near Greenford. It appears to show construction of a long concrete building, so possibly a tunnel ventilation headhouse, or emergency egress point

It's South Ruislip headhouse - not the linear foundation (no idea what that is), but the big boxy thing with two towers behind it, close to the railway.

 

[PLY2AYS]

Up in the air
There’s talk of January launch and also talk of may launch.
but up in the air generally

Thanks for getting back to us on this. Greatly appreciate all your updates and insights.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jun 2025 ==

It's South Ruislip headhouse - not the linear foundation (no idea what that is), but the big boxy thing with two towers behind it, close to the railway.

Is it? I couldn’t work it out from the angle… drive that bit of line most days and I was still unsure!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jun 2025 ==

Depends on which page you look at. On this page

HS2’s latest tunnel breakthrough – and the progress of our remaining giant tunnelling machines

“Good HS2 see you” ran the headline in the Sun last week as ‘Florence’ broke through at the end of her three-year-long drive under the Chilterns.

mediacentre.hs2.org.uk

It says :
"In the midlands, Dorothy dug the first half of the relatively short Long Itchington Wood tunnel, before being turned around and sent back to complete the twin bore in March 2023.

She’s now been reconditioned, renamed Elizabeth, and is now at work on the Bromford tunnel on the approach to central Birmingham. She joined sister machine, named Mary Ann, and together they will excavate the 3.5 mile tunnels."

That’s not confusing at all

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Technically we are still 3/4 rings away from final position inside the can.
Which will be us tonight.

Fantastic

 

[TBMEngineer]

Fantastic

Completed as of 04:48

 

[Snow1964]

The remaining Bromford TBM has been updated

Elizabeth 4264m, 1336m to go, updated 30th June. (+216m)

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

 

[absolutelymilk]

The remaining Bromford TBM has been updated

Elizabeth 4264m, 1336m to go, updated 30th June. (+216m)

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

FYI this update was 14 days after the last one, so 15.4m/day. If progress continues at roughly the same pace then we're looking at less than 100 days to go!

 

[Bald Rick]

Up in the air
There’s talk of January launch and also talk of may launch.
but up in the air generally

or, rather, down in the ground!

 

[absolutelymilk]

Elizabeth now (14 July) at 4,574m, so 1,026m to go. 310m in 14 days (22m/day) is great progress!

 

[PLY2AYS]

Elizabeth now (14 July) at 4,574m, so 1,026m to go. 310m in 14 days (22m/day) is great progress!

If they keep progressing at that rate, it’ll be done before September!

 

[Snow1964]

If they keep progressing at that rate, it’ll be done before September!

The TBM completion will be good, but it's going to take few months to finish all the portals and cross passages.

Not sure how long it will then take to do tunnel fit out (walkways, cable troughs, lights, electrification brackets, ventilation fans, fire detection etc).

Ultimately the track laying is going to be held up by the last structure or earthwork to be completed. The longest date I have seen so far is A45 bridge which won't be finished until summer 2028 per this document.

A45 Coventry Road Overbridge

The new high-speed railway will pass under the A45 Coventry Road as it approaches the new Interchange Station being built in Solihull. This section of the A45 Coventry Road is located near Bickenhill, between Stonebridge roundabout and M42 Junction 6. The A45 overbridge and two slip road bridges...

www.hs2.org.uk

 

[chris2]

Ultimately the track laying is going to be held up by the last structure or earthwork to be completed. The longest date I have seen so far is A45 bridge which won't be finished until summer 2028 per this document.

Will they really wait until every last bit of the civils is done before moving onto track?

 

[hwl]

Will they really wait until every last bit of the civils is done before moving onto track?

No the track laying is planned to start from at least 4 location and in both directions from those locations hence there should be plenty to be getting on with unless there is a late completing structure near those locations.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Elizabeth now (14 July) at 4,574m, so 1,026m to go. 310m in 14 days (22m/day) is great progress!

That's the best rate in the 15 months Elizabeth has been at work, which has had a lower and more variable profile than other TBMs.

 

[FMerrymon]

No the track laying is planned to start from at least 4 location and in both directions from those locations hence there should be plenty to be getting on with unless there is a late completing structure near those locations.

Its a different product in the bored tunnels as well isn't it?

 

[hwl]

That's the best rate in the 15 months Elizabeth has been at work, which has had a lower and more variable profile than other TBMs.

This suggest that the rate may have been limited by supply logistics mainly quantities of concrete tunnel segments (and transporter vehicles when the completed tunnel length goes up), potentially total grouting supply limits too?
For the London area tunnels all the second TBMs increased in rate after the first finished so looking similar here...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2025 ==

Its a different product in the bored tunnels as well isn't it?

Not sure, they used three product variant in Crossrail tunnels and the default HS2 slab was the default one used on Crossrail (and on recent Austrian and German HS lines).
Unless there are local noise or vibration issues in tunnels, I can't see why it would be almost all the default the Porr system?

 

[TBMEngineer]

Downline machine is out!

 

[Trainbike46]

Lovely to see more progress!!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

That really is a superb action photo. Thanks for sharing.

 

[absolutelymilk]

Elizabeth now (14 July) at 4,574m, so 1,026m to go. 310m in 14 days (22m/day) is great progress!

Elizabeth has slowed down a bit, now (28 July) at 4,698m, so 902m to go. 124m in 14 days i.e. 9m/day

 

[Snow1964]

Elizabeth has slowed down a bit, now (28 July) at 4,698m, so 902m to go. 124m in 14 days i.e. 9m/day

updated 11 August

Elizabeth 4964m (+266m in 14 days), 19m per day, 636m to go

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

So looking like it will finish around end of September

 

[Snow1964]

The 4th TBM cutter head on Northolt tunnels has now been lifted out

Engineers working on HS2’s London tunnels began lifting the last of four giant tunnelling machines to the surface over the bank holiday weekend.

The first part of ‘Anne’ – including the 9.11m diameter cutterhead – saw the light of day for the first time in 16 months as it was lifted out of a shaft at Green Park Way in Greenford, west London, on Sunday 24th August.

Weighing a total of 1,700 tonnes and stretching for around 150m, the huge Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) must be lifted out of the shaft in sections using a giant gantry crane.

It is one of four TBMs which have now completed the excavation of the 8.4-mile-long Northolt tunnels between West Ruislip and the new station at Old Oak Common.

Launching from West Ruislip and Old Oak Common and meeting in the middle, the four machines excavated more than 4 million tonnes of London Clay and installed almost 100,000 concrete segments to form the tunnel walls.

NEW TIMELAPSE – HS2 lifts fourth giant tunnelling machine after 3.4-mile journey under the capital

Download or embed new timelapse footage showing HS2’s Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Anne’ being lifted to the surface at Green Park Way site in Greenford, West London. Download photos.

mediacentre.hs2.org.uk

 

[TBMEngineer]

A great moment!
I am now however switching to a new project and contractor, so my updates for Euston tunnels will be limited, I’ll have close contacts so may be able to get some snippets occasionally

 

[jfowkes]

A great moment!
I am now however switching to a new project and contractor, so my updates for Euston tunnels will be limited, I’ll have close contacts so may be able to get some snippets occasionally

It's been a real pleasure getting updates and info straight from the cutting face! Thanks for keeping us all informed!

 

[hwl]

It's been a real pleasure getting updates and info straight from the cutting face! Thanks for keeping us all informed!

Seconded and best wishes the next project!

 

[absolutelymilk]

updated 11 August

Elizabeth 4964m (+266m in 14 days), 19m per day, 636m to go

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

So looking like it will finish around end of September

Updated 26 August
Elizabeth 5,128m (+164m in 15 days), 472m to go

 

[TBMEngineer]

Seconded and best wishes the next project!

Thanks!

 

[Wyrleybart]

A great moment!
I am now however switching to a new project and contractor, so my updates for Euston tunnels will be limited, I’ll have close contacts so may be able to get some snippets occasionally

Thanks also from me. and good luck with your next project