The tunnel is set to link the track from Warwickshire to Birmingham.
For more than a decade, the HS2 development – Britain’s zero carbon alternative for long distance travel – has fallen victim to controversy due to soaring costs, delays and environmental concerns. Not to mention the uproar caused after the Conservative government unveiled plans to scrap the northern leg in 2023.
However, 16 years after the development was first proposed, progress has finally been made on the Bromford Tunnel – a path that will link the track from Warwickshire to Birmingham. The tunnel, which is 3.5 miles in length, is set to travel below motorways, watercourses and National Grid infrastructure.
The huge steps forward wouldn’t have been possible without a boring machine called the Mary Ann. The unit was put to work in July 2023 near Water Orton, a village in Warwickshire, travelling 3.5 miles towards Birmingham and ending in the suburbs of Washwood Heath.
A video, created by HS2 Ltd, showcasing how the machine works can be found below.
According to experts the new tunnel will contribute to halving journey times between Birmingham and London – the developments main interest – and will reduce congestion on the West Coal Main Line.
‘[The] breakthrough is a significant milestone for the project and I’m immensely proud of the men and women who have worked day and night to bring Mary Ann and her crew home safely,’ Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd’s chief executive said. ‘Washwood Heath is set to become one of the most important sites on the entire HS2 network – the point at which the railway will be operated, controlled and maintained using the very latest digital technology.
‘HS2’s construction is transforming the West Midlands, and the £10billion investment boost it is already driving across the region will multiply in the years ahead.’
Jules Arlaud, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s tunnelling director added: ‘[The] breakthrough is a significant moment for Balfour Beatty VINCI, as we celebrate the arrival of our first tunnel boring machine into Birmingham. It’s been a challenging drive beneath critical live infrastructure and through complex ground conditions. I’m incredibly proud of our entire team, whose expertise, dedication and resilience has made this possible.
‘This achievement follows years of design, planning and preparation from BBV, in close collaboration with HS2 and our partners. The team will now move onto the next phase of work inside and outside of the tunnel, while our second TBM, Elizabeth, continues to make great progress on the second drive.’
News of the new development comes as two more are expected to be delivered in the West Midlands over the next decade in Birmingham and Solihull. Collectively, they are expected to bring £10billion to the economy through attracting investors.
Photo by Ethan Thompson via UnSplash
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