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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

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Tunnelling News

New game-changing tunnel boring, reef cutting 'meeting and beating' all expectations

UG2 reef at Bokoni is the target of the twin mobile tunnel boring and narrow reef cutter. Tunnelling will be done with the mobile tunnel borer for ... More Information

Mota-Engil CEO confirms winning bid for Santos-Guaruja tunnel

The company's subsidiary, Mota-Engil, has won the tender for the construction and operation of Brazil's first underwater tunnel, connecting the ... More Information

Metro Vancouver Utility Nearing Finish of $288M Annacis Water Tunnel

“Resilience is at the heart of this project,” said Nedim Alca, COWI's North America market director. “What makes this milestone so significant is not ... More Information

Fehmarnbelt: Danish tunnel portal nears completion

The work on the entrance to the Fehmarnbelt tunnel at Rødbyhavn on Lolland is almost complete. photo courtesy of The Fehmarnbelt Project. More Information

Final decision on airport tunnel 'now or never'

Alderman Jim Stevenson and City administrators are making a dramatic last push for the airport tunnel before construction on the new north/south ... More Information

Athens Metro Line 4 works to finish by 2029

The construction of Athens Metro Line 4 is progressing steadily, with the entire project ... Tunnel mistakenly excavated in Athens metro project. More Information

First trains on track to run through Metro Tunnel within three months

Melbourne's $15.5 billion Metro Tunnel could be switched on in as little as three months as construction wraps up at two CBD stations and trains ... More Information

Petersburg crews to begin tunnel project in response to ongoing flooding, damage - WRIC

As ongoing water issues have caused significant damage to infrastructure around Petersburg, the Old Towne neighborhood ... More Information

Intelligent optimization framework for tunnel construction

Tunnel construction forms the foundation of railway development and is essential for ensuring route continuity and operational efficiency. However, ... More Information

São Paulo positions TBM for next phase of Line 2-Green

A major milestone was reached on Monday (1 September) with the lowering of the cutter head of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) Cora Coralina... More Information

The 700-ton machine that'll dig NYC's Second Avenue subway extension

NYC has a new tunnel boring machine in its toolbox for the expansion of the line under 2nd ave. If you've never seen some BIG earth moving machines, ... More Information

Light at the end of the tunnel showing for Mount Washington transit project

The project is expected to be completed in October. New tracks finally emerge from the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel as a part of Pittsburgh ... More Information

Davao City Bypass South Tunnel hits breakthrough towards improved connectivity

The Construction Project with the ceremonial breakthrough of the southbound tunnel, marking the complete excavation from opposite ends of the ... More Information

Which companies are bidding for the US$2.3bn highway and tunnel contracts in Brazil?

The project in Brazil, as it will be the country's first underwater tunnel,” the person added. The project involves construction of a 1.5km tunnel ... More Information

US Northeast Rail Corridor Gets a Major Makeover with Tunnel and Bridge Replacements

This project is designed to replace tunnels severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, ensuring smoother and more reliable service for Amtrak, NJ Transit, ... More Information

DPWH, JICA celebrate breakthrough of Southbound Tunnel in Davao Bypass

The event marked the successful connection of the tunnel's north and south ends. The ... More Information

Jacobs joins Ramboll on Marselis road tunnel project in Denmark

Danish Road Directorate senior project manager Michael Schmidt Vosgerau said: “It is a complex task to build a tunnel on one of the busiest access ... More Information

Planning continues for Midway Tunnel, Safe Streets for All projects

The Midway Tunnel project is a $13.4 million plan ... construction of a new overpass bridge and pedestrian and bicycle walkway above the tunnel. More Information

Four million tons of clay moved in HS2 excavation

Construction on HS2's second-longest tunnel started in October 2022. The rotating cutters cut away clay and other material at a rate of about 50ft ... More Information

Jacobs Has Design-CM Role on $640M Denmark Tunnel, With Ramboll as Key Consultant

Set to begin construction in 2028, Marselis Tunnel project is core component of the country's 10-year Infrastructure Plan 2035. By Emell D. Adolphus. More Information

Elon Musk's $760,000,000 plan to build underground tunnels beneath Houston, Texas

Elon Musk's next big construction plan from The Boring Company could build $760000 worth of tunnels beneath Houston to help with flooding... More Information

Kerala Moves Closer To Vizhinjam–Balaramapuram Tunnel Rail Project

The Kerala government is preparing to invite bids next month for the tunnel rail project linking Vizhinjam International Seaport with ... More Information

Norway's Ship Tunnel Project Under Threat as Costs Rise

New cost estimates suggest the ambitious project will far exceed its approved budget, raising questions about whether it will ever be built. More Information

Davao City Bypass southbound tunnel nears breakthrough

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the southbound tunnel of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project (DCBCP) is ... More Information

CA should pursue better alternatives to the costly Delta Tunnel Project Stocktonia

Governor Gavin Newsom is attempting to fast-track the construction of a massive, budget-busting water tunnel through the Delta to ship freshwater to ... More Information

Physical Origins of Shear Strength Fluctuations in Fault Gouges

Fault gouge is rock texture within fault zones that may include rock fragments (RF) and foliated structures. Previous studies have primarily focused on remould soils, the natural structure ... More Information

Webuild expands its role in high-speed rail projects

Four modern tunnel boring machines will be deployed to ensure precision and safety in complex geological conditions. Once completed, the old single- ... More Information

Hudson Tunnel Project advances as tunnel boring machines near completion

The Hudson Tunnel Project hit a key milestone as massive tunnel boring machines near completion, with delivery set for November. More Information

Nagdhunga tunnel in final stages of construction

If we look at the history of road construction and development in Nepal, there are various records of road construction starting from the Rana period. According to articles published in ... More Information

Boring of tunnel across Yellow River completed in China's Shandong

Constructed by using a "Shanhe" shield machine with a 17.5-meter excavation diameter, this double-deck, two-way, six-lane tunnel stands as the world's ... More Information

The £1.6bn plan for world's deepest underwater road tunnel leaving 'no room for error'

Opening of Rogfast tunnel under construction. The Rogfast tunnel will be the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel on Earth. (Image: SKANSA). A ... More Information

Tunnelling complete on NSW's Coffs Harbour bypass project

Tunnelling has been completed on the A$2.2bn (£1.1bn) Coffs Harbour bypass project in New South Wales, Australia, with the excavation of the third ... More Information

Veidekke acquires tunnel construction contract for Gothenburg's West Link Project

Veidekke has received a contract from the Swedish Transport Administration to build the Stora Hamnkanalen tunnel, a component of the West Link ... More Information

German Rail completes construction of Rastatt Tunnel

GERMAN Rail (DB) has completed civil works on the new 4270m twin-bore Rastatt Tunnel, a major component of the project to widen to four tracks the ... More Information

Final contracts signed for Eastern Freeway transformation

A huge amount of work is underway to build North East Link and upgrade the freeways – two tunnel boring machines are digging deep under Rosanna ... More Information

Progress on Sydney pipeline duplication

Bouygues Construction Australia and Rob Carr have launched a tunnel boring machine (TBM) on Sydney Water's Thornleigh pipeline duplication ... More Information

The latest plan to connect BART to downtown San Jose: One tunnel rather than two

When BART and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority first discussed plans to send trains rolling under downtown San Jose, transit officials contemplated a design with two tunnels ... More Information

Nashville Tesla tunnel: Here's when construction could start on the Music City Loop

Elon Musk's The Boring Company is currently in the design phase of constructing a tunnel connecting downtown Nashville to the Nashville ... More Information

World's longest underwater 'mega tunnel' to cost $46 billion but will halve 21-hour drive

Oddvar Kaarmo, the Rogfast project manager, cited additional motivation for the tunnel's construction: "The port at Mortavika is quite exposed and ... More Information