HS2 has fired up its first giant tunnel boring machine (TBM) in London.<\/p>\n
The 2,000-tonne piece of equipment, known as Sushila, was launched in Hillingdon on 6 October and will bore five miles towards Greenford in west London.<\/p>\n
Sushila will work on a 24-hour basis for the next 22 months, except on Christmas Day and bank holidays, and measures 140 metres in length.<\/p>\n
It has a diameter of around 10 metres, and will be operated by 15 people working on a shift pattern. The TBM is one of six that will dig over 26 miles of tunnels in London.<\/p>\n
The joint venture (JV) of Skanska, Costain, and Strabag is working on this particular section of the line.<\/p>\n
James Richardson, the JV’s managing director, said the mission to bore this part of the route was “one of the most complex parts of HS2”.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, HS2 boss Mark Thurston said the launch of the TBM on the longest section of tunnels through the capital was a “significant moment” for the projects and demonstrated momentum behind Britain’s biggest levelling-up project.<\/p>\n
Sushila was named after a local school teacher, Sushila Hirani, and will be followed by another TBM, Caroline on the same route, next year. Caroline is named after the 18th-century\u00a0astronomer Caroline Herschel.<\/p>\n
HS2 is due to launch two TBMs from Victoria Road to Greenpark Way in 2023, while a further two machines will bore a 4.5-mile tunnel from Old Oak Common and Euston.<\/p>\n
HS2 minister Kevin Foster said it was a \u201clandmark\u201d moment for the scheme, adding the project would help to \u201cunlock better connections, quicker journeys and create thousands of skilled jobs across the North and Midlands\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHS2 is set to revolutionise journeys for communities throughout the country, boost local economies, and at its peak, support more than 34,000 jobs across the UK,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n