HS2 confirms work on Euston Tunnel on hold

The two TBMs building the 7km tunnel on the section from the Old Oak Common Box in west London towards Euston were scheduled to begin next year.

An HS2 spokesperson said that since the government’s announcement in March that it was prioritising delivery of the high-speed railway between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street, HS2 had been working on the detail of which works would be deferred.

“We can confirm that there are impacts to the works being delivered under the Main Works Civils Contract, awarded to Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture, specifically the section between Old Oak Common and the Euston Approaches,” the spokesperson said.

The Atlas Road Logistics Tunnel – between Old Oak Common station site and the Atlas Road site – is a precursor to this work and is still continuing. The TBM for this 6.2m i.d tunnel was launched last week.

HS2 also confirmed that the preparation works for the launch of the two TBMs for the Euston Tunnel would also continue.

When the government announced it was delaying some aspects of HS2 because of inflationary pressure and increased project costs it said it was committed to HS2 trains eventually terminating at Euston Station, but for now was prioritising the service between Old Oak Common and Birmingham.