HS2 completes final major tunnel between Birmingham and west London

HS2 Ltd has completed the digging of major tunnels on its route between Birmingham and west London.

A tunnel boring machine (TBM) broke through at Washwood Heath, north-east Birmingham, on Monday after an 18-month journey to create the Bromford Tunnel, the company said.

The twin-bore tunnel stretches 3.5 miles to near the Warwickshire village of Water Orton.

This marks the end of excavation for the total of 28 miles of deep bore tunnels on the route from Curzon Street, Birmingham, to Old Oak Common, west London.

Old Oak Common will be the capital’s terminus for HS2 services on launch due to delays in developing Euston station.

Alan Morris, HS2 Ltd’s construction delivery director, said: “Today’s breakthrough is a major milestone for the tunnelling team here in Birmingham and for the HS2 project.

“All eight of the TBMs digging our tunnels between Old Oak Common and Curzon Street have now broken through, which means that the focus is now on the internal concrete work, ventilation shafts and cross passages.

“I’m immensely proud of the men and women who have worked round the clock to bring our TBMs and their crews home safely, and I look forward to seeing more progress inside the tunnels in the years ahead.”

Two more TBMs will launch next year to dig a pair of 4.5-mile tunnels between Old Oak Common and Euston.

But uncertainty remains over the development of Euston.

In October 2023, then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the project would be reliant on private investment.

This was aimed at saving £6.5 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing Euston station has been halted since March 2023 because of funding doubts.

The entire high-speed railway project is undergoing a reset led by Mark Wild, who became HS2 Ltd chief executive in December last year amid rising costs and delays.