Tunnelbuilder Promoting the world's tunnelling industry to a huge qualified audience

View the Spanish Tunnelbuilder website View the Italian Tunnelbuilder website

Archive - News

Featured News

HS2 tunnelling team celebrate milestone TBM breakthrough in Warwickshire

HS2 tunnelling team celebrate milestone TBM breakthrough in Warwickshire

Press release - Today [Thursday 30 March] HS2’s tunnelling team in Warwickshire celebrated the milestone breakthrough of tunnel boring machine ‘Dorothy’ as the giant cutterhead ... More Information

High Speed Two: Euston

Press release - The government should use the two-year pause on new construction work at HS2 Euston to develop a design that is affordable, deliverable and value for money, according to a new ... More Information

Press Release - HS2 reveals final design for last of seven key Chiltern Tunnel structures

Press Release - HS2 reveals final design for last of seven key Chiltern Tunnel structures

HS2 have revealed the final designs for the North Portal of the Chiltern Tunnel – the last of seven key structures for the high speed rail project’s longest tunnels. Once construction ... More Information

HS2 update

The UK government has announced a two-year delay to the construction of sections of HS2, the high-speed railway connecting London and the West Midlands, citing increased project costs and ... More Information

HS2 celebrates as longest tunnels reach halfway point under the Chilterns

On 01 February HS2 Ltd confirmed that Florence and Cecilia, the two giant TBMs driving the HS2 high speed rail project’s longest tunnels, have passed the halfway point of the 16 km (10 ... More Information

Undergraduates offered paid summer placements on HS2

University students who live, or study, in the Midlands are being offered the chance to join HS2’s construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) on an eight-week paid work placement this ... More Information

HS2 celebrates launch of TBM for second tunnel bore under Long Itchington Wood UK

HS2 celebrates launch of TBM for second tunnel bore under Long Itchington Wood UK

Press release - HS2 Ltd’s 125 metre-long ‘Dorothy’ tunnel boring machine has launched for her second one-mile tunnel bore under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire, marking the ... More Information

The second of HS2's TBM sets off underneath the capital

On 27 October 2022 HS2 Ltd launched their fifth TBM Caroline, that will be constructing tunnels for the HS2 railway through London. HS2’s first London TBM Sushila - started on the 06 October ... More Information

HS2 Chiltern tunnel – ‘Florence’ and ‘Cecilia’ reach 4 mile point at Chalfont St Giles

HS2 Chiltern tunnel – ‘Florence’ and ‘Cecilia’ reach 4 mile point at Chalfont St Giles

Press Release - Two enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machines digging HS2’s longest tunnels passed the second of five ventilation shafts this week, 4 miles into their 10 mile drive under the ... More Information

Giant HS2 TBM cutterhead’s impressive journey back to start second dig in Warwickshire

After HS2’s first tunnel breakthrough by TBM Dorothy at the south portal site in July this year, the front part of the TBM has been dismantled and transported back to the tunnel’s ... More Information

HS2 completes first tunnel cross passages

Press release - As the TBMs Florence and Cecilia under the Chilterns approach the 6.5km (4-mile) mark, HS2 completed the first of 38 bypasses - to be used in emergencies - between the northbound and ... More Information

Press release -HS2 celebrates historic first tunnelling breakthrough

Press release -HS2 celebrates historic first tunnelling breakthrough

HS2 Ltd is today [Tuesday 26 July] celebrating the very first tunnelling breakthrough on Europe’s largest infrastructure project. A 2,000-tonne TBM named ‘Dorothy’ – after ... More Information

HS2 offers tunnelling career trial in Warwickshire

HS2 offers tunnelling career trial in Warwickshire

Press release - HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), is offering the chance to trial a new career working on the giant tunnelling machines that will bore beneath the ground ... More Information

Bramble, the first mini HS2 TBM

The site at Wormwood Scrubs is where HS2 will relocate the Stamford Brook Sewer and some utility services currently running under Old Oak Common Lane. This needs to be done in order to construct the ... More Information

HS2 reveals noise-cancelling Chiltern Tunnel north portal design

HS2 reveals noise-cancelling Chiltern Tunnel north portal design

Press release - HS2 has revealed the designs for the north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel, which has been specially designed to cut noise from trains entering and exiting the project's longest tunnel ... More Information

HS2 tunnelling machines reach Chalfont St Peter ventilation shaft

HS2 tunnelling machines reach Chalfont St Peter ventilation shaft

Press release - 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, ... More Information

HS2 reveals images of first landscaped ‘green tunnels’ for Bucks and Northants

HS2 reveals images of first landscaped ‘green tunnels’ for Bucks and Northants

Press release - New images showing the green tunnel at Greatworth, Northamptonshire, with similar designs planned for Wendover and Chipping Warden Modular design set to cut embedded carbon in ... More Information

Everything I learned in a morning hiding in a tunnel under the Chilterns – by Jonn Elledge

Hi Jonn – I hope you’re well. This is just a quick note to see if you would be interested in a guided tour of one of HS2’s first two tunnelling machines (TBMs)... They are ... More Information

HS2’s London Tunnels programme nears launch date as first TBM’s arrive

HS2’s London Tunnels programme nears launch date as first TBM’s arrive

Press release - The start of tunnelling for HS2 in London is set to begin in 2022 and progress has been made with the delivery of two giant Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) to ... More Information

HS2 Launches First Midlands Giant Tunnelling Machine

HS2 Launches First Midlands Giant Tunnelling Machine

Press release - Yesterday [2 December] HS2 CEO Mark Thurston pushed the button to start HS2’s tunnel boring machine on its one-mile journey under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire, marking ... More Information

Progress at HS2 Superhub station Old Oak Common as construction of main station box begins

Press release - Work to construct the 850m-long station box at HS2’s Old Oak Common station began last month as concrete frame and substructure specialist, Expanded, started on site. Expanded ... More Information

TBM cutterheads arrive at the HS2 West Ruislip portal

TBM cutterheads arrive at the HS2 West Ruislip portal

In West Ruislip, HS2 is preparing the way for the TBMs that will dig  the high speed rail tunnels under West London. The giant cutterheads - part of the first pair of TBMs that will dig  ... More Information

Final week to register for HS2’s biggest ever supply chain event

With just two weeks to go until its biggest ever ‘Meet the Contractor’ event launches, High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd is making a final call for UK businesses to register their ... More Information

HS2’s first Midlands tunnelling machine name unveiled

HS2’s first Midlands tunnelling machine name unveiled

The name of HS2’s first TBM on the northern section of Phase One has been unveiled. During a ceremony on the construction site, which is managed by HS2 joint venture Balfour Beatty VINCI, the ... More Information

Press release - Tunnel progress as HS2 completes first mile under the Chilterns

The first enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machine passed the one mile mark this week during the construction of the first tunnels for HS2 - Britain’s new high speed rail link between London, ... More Information

hyperTunnel – tunnelling reimagined

hyperTunnel – tunnelling reimagined

Innovation born out of necessity: the launch of hyperTunnel will see tunnels built completely differently in future, for huge global societal benefit. hyperTunnel is a new British tunnelling ... More Information

Shortlist for Washwood Heath train depot and network control centre

HS2 Ltd confirmed the shortlist of bidders in the running to build the high speed rail project’s network control centre and rolling stock maintenance depot. The contract – worth an ... More Information

Excavation begins for HS2’s first ‘barn design’ tunnel vent shaft

Excavation begins for HS2’s first ‘barn design’ tunnel vent shaft

Following the launch of HS2's first two giant TBMs, engineers working on Britain’s new high-speed railway have now begun excavating the first of five shafts that will provide ventilation ... More Information

Press release - Momentum builds as HS2 launches second giant tunnelling machine

Press release - Momentum builds as HS2 launches second giant tunnelling machine

HS2 this week launched ‘Cecilia’ - the second of two enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machines that will excavate the ten mile long tunnels beneath the Chiltern hills just outside London. ... More Information

HS2 launches national vote to name Warwickshire TBM

On the 09/06/2021 HS2 launched a national vote to name their third TBM – weight 2,000 t and diameter 10 m - that will dig a one-mile twin bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood in ... More Information

HS2 launches webinar series to help Britain’s SMEs bid for work on the project

HS2 Ltd has announced a series of webinars, every Wednesday for 6 weeks until Wednesday 14th July, to ensure British businesses benefit from over 400,000 contract opportunities that building ... More Information

HS2 launches TBM Florence the first of 10 TBMs to dig underneath the Chilterns

HS2 launches TBM Florence the first of 10 TBMs to dig underneath the Chilterns

On 13/05/2021 HS2 Ltd launched the 2,000 t TBM Florence from HS2’s South Portal site next to the M25 in Buckinghamshire. It’s the first of 10  TBMs that will collectively dig ... More Information

EIA required for the planned Bromford Tunnel extension on HS2 railway

HS2 is developing a more detailed design for Phase One of the HS2 railway, following the appointment of its main works contractors. The design process is helping HS2 plan and prepare for the ... More Information

HS2 casts first of 112,000 Chiltern tunnel wall segments ahead of TBM launch

HS2 casts first of 112,000 Chiltern tunnel wall segments ahead of TBM launch

Preparations for the launch of HS2’s first giant TBM ramped up last week. The first of 112,000 segments for the Chiltern tunnel lining rolled off a purpose-built production line. The temporary ... More Information

The Long Itchington TBM naming competition has been launched

At the beginning of March HS2 Ltd launched a competition for residents of the Warwickshire area and for schools to help find a name for the TBM that will start excavating under Long Itchington Wood ... More Information

Long Itchington Wood tunnel HS2 update

Long Itchington Wood tunnel HS2  update

Collins Earthworks has completed excavating the north portal site of  the twin tube Long Itchington Wood tunnel (1.61 km/1mile length, 9-10 m diameter) , ready for the launch of the TBM that ... More Information

Page:

Tunnelling News

Construction staging area approved for Nashville's airport tunnel project

The Music City Loop will be a 10 mile tunnel connecting downtown Nashville to the Nashville International Airport (BNA)... More Information

Zojila tunnel deadline pushed to 2028: Here's why Asia's longest tunnel project is delayed

Zojila Tunnel Latest Update: On completion, the project will not only play an important role in the country's infrastructure development but also ... More Information

W.A. Rasic Construction Awarded Major Subcontract on Dragados' $630M Effluent Outfall

The tunnel project is a critical component of Southern California's long-term infrastructure resilience strategy. The project directly supports the ... More Information

VDOT gives HRBT expansion update

Construction on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project hit key milestones as tunneling progresses and traffic shifts to new lanes. More Information

HS2 lifts third TBM following 3.4-mile journey

HS2 Ltd has lifted Tunnel Boring Machine Emily's 9.11-metre diameter cutterhead, front and middle shield, weighing 880 tonnes, from below the ... More Information

Musk's Boring Company unveils Music City Loop tunnel project for Nashville

The big picture: The project has an ambitious timeline of completing the 10-mile route in less than two years. The tunnel would move vehicles at warp ... More Information

Progress Update on East Dallas Tunnel Project to Address Flooding Problems

With so much rainfall throughout the metroplex, NBC 5 wanted an update on a project expected to mitigate flooding in East Dallas... More Information

KIB gets go-ahead for landmark Kuwait tunnel revamp project

On the key tunnel beautification project, Vice Chairman and CEO Raed Jawad Bukhamseen said: "This initiative reflects KIB's vision of supporting ... More Information

From hills to hope

As night falls over the northern highlands of Lesotho in early July, winter's chill sets in. Yet, the Polihali Transfer Tunnel construction site ... More Information

Tunnel boring machines reach Parramatta in major Metro West milestone

Tunnel boring machines have reached Parramatta, marking a major milestone in the construction of the Metro West project. More Information

Completion of hyperbaric excavated tunnel marks major milestone for Naples-Bari rail project

The construction of the Casalnuovo Tunnel, a critical and technically challenging segment of the high-speed railway line between Naples and Bari ... More Information

Multraship tugs support Antwerp Scheldt tunnel construction

Tugboats are supporting the construction of a motorway tunnel in the River Scheldt in Antwerp by towing and manoeuvring concrete structures and ... More Information

Europe's $45BN Mega Tunnels through the Alps

Discover the record-breaking network of tunnels being constructed beneath the Alps. This video explores the top 6 longest tunnels in the region, .. More Information

AFRY secures contract for Switzerland's Twann Tunnel project

Construction oversight of the Twann Tunnel in the country. The tunnel on the Lake of Bienne is intended to ease traffic congestion in Twann by ... More Information

Line 5 Tunnel Project: Public comments now open for proposal to build under Straits of Mackinac

"The purpose of the project is to facilitate the construction of a tunnel beneath Lake Michigan bottomlands to replace the Line 5 dual pipelines ... More Information

ECRL Breakthrough: Genting Tunnel Becomes SEA's Longest Rail Tunnel

Genting Tunnel's construction used both Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) and traditional drill-and-blast methods. The TBMs, built in China and ... More Information

Sydney tunnel factory creates 700 manufacturing jobs

The factory will support two of the largest tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the Southern Hemisphere, set to arrive later this year. Once ... More Information

2.7 km Breakthrough Achieved in Bullet Train Tunnel

The tunnel also features a 7-kilometre undersea stretch beneath Thane Creek, a first of its kind in India. To ... More Information

Australian-first Sydney tunnel fabrication facility opens

The tunnel boring machines are expected to arrive in Sydney later this year, before being assembled deep underground below Birchgrove. They will ... More Information

ECRL Breakthrough: Genting Tunnel Becomes SEA's Longest Rail Tunnel

Genting Tunnel's construction used both Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) and traditional drill-and-blast methods. The TBMs, built in China and ... More Information

4000-tonne machines dig arterial route under Melbourne's west

The West Gate Tunnel Project is in full swing beneath Melbourne's inner west, with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Bella and Vida at the helm... More Information

Gotthard drilling machine gets no further - now it has to be blown up

Forced break in the Gotthard road tunnel: After 190 meters, the drilling machine working on the second tube has come to an end for the time being... More Information

Construction begins on 6 Cross Island Line Phase 2 stations

Tunnel Boring Machine measuring 12.8m in diameter. The machine will “bore through the ground only once for the construction of the tunnel which ... More Information

Tunnel boring machine returns after installing $22 million outfall

A 19.5 tonne tunnel-boring machine docked at Onehunga Wharf on Friday afternoon after successfully tunnelling the $22m Clarks Beach Outfall over ... More Information

Scarborough Subway Extension tunnelling progresses following maintenance stop

The remaining portion of the tunnel will be delivered by Scarborough Transit Connect, the development partner for the project's stations, rail and ... More Information

World's Deepest Underwater Tunnel to Have Cars Drive 16 Miles Under the Sea

Norway is building what is to become the longest and deepest road tunnel under the sea. The Rogfast project, measuring 26.7 kilometers (about 16.5 ... More Information

Tunnelling underway for National Grid’s 3.4km power tunnel in Snowdonia

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) Buddug has commenced excavation of National Grid’s 3.4km power tunnel in Wales’ Eryri National Park, otherwise known as Snowdonia. The tunnel is part of ... More Information

CPK signs contract for construction of HSR tunnel in Łódź

The contract for the construction of a 4.6 km long, 14-metre wide High-Speed Rail (HSR) tunnel will be carried out by construction company PORR. The project is valued at approximately PLN ... More Information

Underneath the busy Baltimore streets, the Howard Street Tunnel gets its makeover

A squad of construction workers descend daily under the streets of Baltimore. They labour deep down, in the semi-secret and highly restricted ... More Information

London Power Tunnels Milestone

We're thrilled to announce that our second 2.5km high-voltage circuit between Hurst and Crayford is now live. This £1 billion project is rewiring London, strengthening energy supply, and ... More Information

U.S. Tunneling Professionals Convene in Dallas at RETC 2025

The event drew approximately 1,400 people. Another highlight of the conference was the presentation of the now annual Underground Construction ... More Information

Construction of NY and NJ GatewayTunnel hits halfway mark

People are looking down at the ground from the Highline on Manhattan's West Side. Some parts of the new train tunnel structure ... More Information

Silicon Valley BART extension seeks new tunneling contractor

Silicon Valley BART extension seeks new tunneling contractor for construction. Maguire told reporters during a briefing Monday morning. He noted that VTA is trying to fill a $1.2 billion ... More Information

Tunneling In The Digital Age: Rethinking Subsurface Infrastructure

But successful construction is just the start of the journey. Underground infrastructure is a long-term investment—just look at the London Underground ... More Information

Sydney Moves Forward with Final Tunnelling for Harbour Project

Sydney prepares for the arrival of the largest TBMs in the Southern Hemisphere as the Western Harbour Tunnel project enters its final tunnelling ... More Information

Metrolinx seeks help to name 2 of its massive Ontario Line tunnel digging machines

Metrolinx is now accepting names for two of its giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs), which will be used for twin 16-metre-deep and six-kilometre-long ... More Information

Deutsche Bahn awards contract for Munich S-Bahn project

The contract involves structural works for the expansion, including the construction of tunnels and an underground station. The Tunnel Ostbahnhof JV, ... More Information

Excavation completed on Italian side of Brenner Base Tunnel

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) named “Flavia” successfully bored through the Alps beneath the Mules 2–3 section, reaching the Austrian border. More Information

Giant tunnel borer set for Shantou Bay project

A giant tunnel boring machine has been installed for tunnelling under Shantou Bay in Shantou, South China's Guangdong province. [Photo provided to ... More Information