HS2 casts first of 112,000 wall segments for Chilterns Tunnel
19 Mar 2021Our Align JV is counting down to the launch of HS2's first tunnelling machines - Florence and Cecilia.
14th May 2021
Historic moment as HS2 launches first giant tunnelling machine
HS2 launches ‘Florence’ – the first of 10 HS2 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnel on Phase One of the UK’s new high speed railway.
HS2 has launched one of the enormous 2,000 tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Florence’ from HS2’s South Portal site next to the M25 in Buckinghamshire, at an event attended by HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson and HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Thurston among others.
The launch of the first of ten giant tunnelling machines that will dig 64 miles of tunnels between London and the West Midlands, is just the latest example of how HS2 is securing jobs and helping the UK to build back better from the pandemic.
More than 16,000 jobs and over 500 apprenticeships are already being supported by the project, which is set to transform transport links between Britain’s major cities, free up space on the rail network for more freight and local services and support the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions.
Named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale – a name suggested by local children due to her residence at nearby Claydon House in Bucks, and chosen in a public vote – the TBM will dig the first of a pair of 10 mile long tunnels under the Chiltern hills and help to safeguard the woodland and wildlife habitats above ground. A second machine ‘Cecilia’ will launch next month to excavate the second tunnel at the South Portal site.
The first two TBMs will be operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – our joint venture with Bouygues Travaux Publics and VolkerFitzpatrick.
Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, the two identical TBMs will dig separate tunnels for north and southbound trains.
Each machine operates as a self-contained underground factory - digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place at a speed of around 15 meters a day. Each tunnel will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced segments – which will all be made on site.
A crew of 17 people will operate each TBM, working in shifts to keep the machines running 24/7. They will be supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation.
Chalk excavated from the tunnels will be used for landscaping at the south portal site once construction is complete, creating wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats across 127 hectares of the southern Chiltern hills.
Related content
-
![]()
Read more about HS2 casts first of 112,000 wall segments for Chilterns Tunnel -
![]()
Read more about HS2 begins work on UK's longest rail viaductHS2 begins work on UK's longest rail viaduct
16 Mar 2021Our Align JV began work this week on the UK’s longest railway bridge, with an expert team of ground engineers sinking the first of almost 300 piles that will form the foundations for the Colne Valley Viaduct.
-
![]()
Read more about Our Align JV takes delivery of HS2 giant tunnelling machinesOur Align JV takes delivery of HS2 giant tunnelling machines
08 Dec 2020HS2’s first two giant Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), named Florence and Cecilia, have arrived in the UK. Work on the project’s first tunnels, which are being constructed by our Align joint venture, starts early next year.
