On 05 March 2024 HS2 launched the last TBM to dig tunnels for the new high speed railway in the West Midlands. The 1,600 t weight and 125 m long TBM has started on its journey to dig the second bore of 5.63 km (3.5 mile) HS2’s Bromford Tunnel, between the east portal at Water Orton in North Warwickshire and the west portal at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The tunnel will take high speed trains in and out of Birmingham, with a series of viaducts between Washwood Heath and Curzon Street Station taking trains to the city centre.
The first TBM named Mary Ann and launched in June 2023 has completed around one third of her journey digging towards Birmingham. So far, the machine has tunnelled under the Park Hall Nature Reserve, is currently near the River Tame, and will continue adjacent to the M6 at a depth of 27 m before breaking through at Washwood Heath later this year.
The second TBM - named Elizabeth after Dame Elizabeth Cadbury, who founded the Birmingham Union of Girls' Clubs, was Vice President of the Electrical Association for Women, and President of the United Hospital in Birmingham - is due to finish its journey in Autumn 2025. The name -choosen by the pupils at Paget School in Birmingham - has been unveiled on site by Lucy Holmes - Forest School Lead at Paget Primary School, and Diane Donaldson - Birmingham City Councillor for Bromford & Hodge Hill Ward.
Both TBMs will remove a total of 1.87 million tonnes of excavated material, which is sifted at the on-site slurry treatment plant and reused on HS2’s nearby sites at Delta Junction, where a complex network of 13 viaducts is being built.
HS2 has built dedicated roads between these construction sites, including an access off the M6/M42 link roads, in order to take lorries off public roads.
Both TBMs will put a total of 41,594 concrete segments in place, creating 5,942 rings to make the twin bore tunnel, with each ring weighing 49 t. The segments are being produced at Balfour Beatty VINCI’s pre-cast factory at Avonmouth near Bristol.The contractor for the Bromford Tunnel is Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV). For further information please click here for a video, here and uk/65 for the tunnelbuilder archive and visit https://www.hs2.org.uk/. 10/24.
