The cutter head of boring machine Karen at Old Oak Common station (Image: PA)
Two tunnel boring machines (TMBs) named Karen and Madeleine will dig the final stretch of tunnels to bring HS2 into Euston station.
There are currently 4.5 miles (7.3km) of tunnels left to bore before the capital’s connectivity is improved to the Midlands and Northern regions.
Chancellor resurrected the Euston extension in her Autumn following a halt in March due to funding doubts.
Aimed at improving commuter access to central London, this expansion is expected to stimulate transport-led regeneration in the area, paving the way for thousands of new homes and job opportunities.
Each weighing 1,250 tonnes, the TMBs are being assembled at Old Oak Common before embarking on an 18 month journey to reach the railway’s final destination. Karen and Madeline will each be 190m (623ft) long when finished.
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The tunnel boring machines each weigh 1,250 tonnes (Image: PA)
The machines’ names come from Karen Harrison, the first female train driver in the UK who was based out of Old Oak Common depot and Madeleine Nobbs, the former president of the Women’s Engineering Society.
The TMBs were manufactured by Herrenknecht AG in Germany and were transported to Old Oak Common in segments. They were then lifted into a box underneath the station using a 750ft crane where they will be reassembled.
Once their journeys conclude, the TMBs outer castings will remain as part of the tunnel’s structure. The approach to Euston will involve spray concrete-lined tunnels transitioning into three additional tunnels to facilitate train movement into the station.
However, HS2 said final plans for the station at Euston “are still under review” and it is working with government and other stakeholders “to design an affordable station design that can run HS2 services from London to the Midlands”.
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Karen and Madeline will each be 190m long when finished (Image: Getty)
Despite the Birmingham to London project being plunged into doubt in October 2023 when said this leg would be reliant on private investment, Ms Reeves has recommitted funding to begin the tunnelling work.
In 2009, the cost of the part of the project was predicted to cost £7billion with the aim of completion by 2020. However, that phase of HS2 is now expected to open between 2029 and 2033.
The Department for Transport said the remaining project cost is estimated at £45billion to £54billion in 2019 prices, yet HS2 management estimated £49billion to £57billion.