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A colossal 1,600-tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) named Madeleine has been activated to construct a vital section of the HS2 railway in London.
The machine, measuring 190 meters in length, is named in honor of Madeleine Nobbs, a former president of the Women’s Engineering Society. It will create a 4.5-mile tunnel connecting Old Oak Common in West London to the planned Euston station.
However, uncertainty remains regarding the final design, cost, and completion timeframe of the new Euston station. Government ministers have pledged to provide an update later in the year.
In 2023, work on the HS2 Euston station was paused to allow for the development of a more “affordable” design, with the previous Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, suggesting that private firms, rather than taxpayers, should finance the project.
The HS2 project is anticipated to initially transport passengers between Birmingham and Old Oak Common, with the previously targeted completion date of 2033 now unattainable.
While the specifics of the new station’s design and completion date remain unclear, the government maintains that extending HS2 to Euston is “essential to unlocking the project’s full economic potential”.
A new entity, the Euston Delivery Company, is slated to oversee the construction of what the government envisions as an “affordable and integrated transport hub”.
The Euston Delivery Company has not yet been formally established.
Project leaders and government officials gathered at the site of the future Old Oak Common station to officially inaugurate the tunnel excavation process.
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, stated that the government would explore potential developers and partners for the Euston station project while the tunnel boring progresses.
He said the aim is to develop a funding package that incorporates “a mix of public and, hopefully, private investment,” adding that the focus would be on “affordable housing and job opportunities as well as commercial investment.”
Rail Minister Lord Hendy indicated that an update is expected in “the next few months.”
He characterized previous station designs as “infeasible” and “far too expensive.”
The planned number of platforms at the HS2 Euston terminus has been reduced from eleven to six over time in an effort to cut costs.
Lord Hendy suggested that this could be subject to change.
He stated: “The current design is six, but the spatial plan we’re looking at will leave space for more, because it’s inconceivable that you’d build this railway at this level of expense without filling it full of trains to go everywhere in Britain.”
The HS2 project has faced persistent criticism due to escalating costs and delays.
Mark Wild, the former head of Crossrail, was appointed to lead HS2 in late 2024 and tasked with overseeing a “reset” of the entire high-speed rail project between Birmingham and London.
Wild told reporters on Tuesday that he was “very nearly there” with his reset plan, which will require government approval.
He said it will provide a new definitive timescale and costs, but only within “a range”. Regarding timing, he anticipated completion within the 2030s.
“From the cost range that is in the public domain, we’ve said it will be more money,” he stated, but declined to answer whether the project could be completed for under £100 billion.
A second TBM, named Karen after Karen Harrison, the first female train driver in the UK, will be activated in the coming months. Harrison was based out of the Old Oak Common depot in West London.
The machines are expected to take approximately 18 months to complete their journey.
They will simultaneously excavate and construct the tunnel, placing concrete segments to form the tunnel walls as they advance. The tunnel will reach depths of up to 50 meters.
Madeleine was manufactured in Germany and shipped to the UK in sections. A 750-tonne crane was used to lower the components into an underground box at one end of the station, where it was reassembled.
Jones remarked: “There’s nothing boring about tunnel boring.”
“We’re boosting the links between our big cities across the country to create more opportunities for people to trade, meet and socialise with each other, turning the corner on years of decline.”
Lord Hendy said the machines were “an engineering marvel” and “brings HS2’s journey to Euston another step closer to reality”.
HS2 has been beleaguered by delays and setbacks and the cost has snowballed to at least £80bn.
Reports have indicated that the project could potentially cost £100 billion, even after the cancellation of the legs to Manchester and Leeds.
One of the most significant cost drivers for HS2 has been the extensive need for tunneling. The track between London and Birmingham must be as straight as possible to accommodate high-speed trains.
Objections from local residents and the imperative to protect areas of outstanding natural beauty along the route have contributed to increased costs.
The initial phase of the project was originally scheduled to open by the end of this year.
This was subsequently delayed to between 2029 and 2033, but it has since been confirmed that this deadline will also be missed.
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