HS2’s first giant tunnelling machine broke through today at the end of her 10-mile (16km) journey under the Chilterns.
The enormous 2,000 tonne Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), named ‘Florence’, is one of 10 machines excavating the 32 miles of tunnel on the new railway linking London Euston with Birmingham and was the first to launch, in May 2021.
The breakthrough is a major milestone for the HS2 project, which will almost halve journey times between Britain’s two largest cities, while freeing up space for more local services on the most crowded part of the existing West Coast Main Line.
Two identical TBMs were used to create the twin-bore Chiltern tunnel, which stretches from the South Portal near the M25 to South Heath in Buckinghamshire.
Parallel tunnels will carry north and south bound trains with a second TBM, named ‘Cecilia’, due to breakthrough in the coming weeks.
Road closure and two-way lights to cause disruption in Aylesbury this weekend
New Funding Boost for SEND Support in Bucks
New images of missing Aylesbury man
Council prosecutes three local shopkeepers in crackdown on trading standards offences
Vandals damage equipment worth more than £11,000 in Princes Risborough Park
Live Facial Recognition vans in Aylesbury
Bucks Mind offering fully funded Mental Health First Aid training
Aylesbury United Legends Day
