Milestone for HS2 as half of tunnel network completes

Construction of the HS2 tunnel network is over halfway done, marking a milestone for the new high-speed line in Britain.

Two out of five of the twin-bore tunnels are finished, and work on two more is well underway on the line which is being built at 350 different sites between London and the West Midlands.

The tunnels will cover 27.4 miles in total, almost a fifth of the whole 140-mile route.

Each tunnel boring machine works like a factory underground, digging the tunnels, putting in concrete segments, and moving forward at around 12 to 16 meters per day.

Once the tunnels are done, other important features like cross-passages and vent shafts will be completed, followed by installing railway systems for high-speed trains to use.

Rail minister Huw Merriman said: “Reaching this impressive milestone on a project of HS2’s scale shows just how much momentum is behind construction of the line, which, once complete, will have a transformative impact on rail travel for generations to come.

“It’s a significant achievement for the team helping deliver this railway and I’m delighted the project has now supported record numbers of new jobs, demonstrating the vital role it is playing in creating opportunities up and down the country.”