HS2’s Northolt Tunnel reaches halfway point

SCS, a joint venture between Sweden-based Skanska, UK-based Costain and Austria-based Strabag, announced this week that the four tunnel boring machines excavating the Northolt Tunnel have excavated exactly half the project’s total distance.

Northolt Tunnel. Photo: HS2

SCS said that TBMs Sushila, Caroline, Emily and Anne have between them travelled just over 8.4 miles - half the total distance they need to drill to complete the twin bored tunnel which will eventually connect Old Oak Common and West Ruislip in West London.

Between them, the quartet of machines have excavated nearly 2 million tonnes of earth.

James Richardson, managing director of the SCS joint venture, said: “Reaching the halfway point of our tunnelling programme for the Northolt Tunnel demonstrates the huge progress achieved to date on one of the most complex and ambitious programmes embarked upon in the UK.”