HS2's precast tunnel segments are being transported via railway from Hartlepool to London for use in the 5.4km Northolt Tunnel East.
The pre-cast concrete segments are being delivered by rail to minimise road traffic and reduce carbon emissions. Tunnel Segment Production Line
Strabag, the company manufacturing the segments for HS2’s next London tunnel drives, opened a new state-of-the-art factory in Hartlepool earlier this year. The factory has direct access to the rail network through a rail head that had not been used in over 15 years.
The freight trains, operated by Freightliner, can carry up to 20 segment rings for the tunnels, which will be used to build 38m of tunnel. Each train which makes the seven hour journey from Hartlepool to London will remove the need for 40 lorries on the UK’s road network, reducing congestion and carbon emissions. Trains will run six times a week between Hartlepool and London.
HS2’s London tunnels contractor SCS (Skanska Costain Strabag JV), will receive the segments at its London Logistics Hub, near to Willesden Junction. From there, the segments will be transported to Victoria Road Crossover Box in Acton.
The segments will be used to construct the Northolt Tunnel East, a 5.4km twin bore tunnel drive from Victoria Road in Acton to Greenford. At Greenford, the tunnel will connect to the Northolt Tunnel West, and combined will complete the 13.5km tunnel taking HS2 services from Old Oak Common Station to the edge of the capital.
For both the Northolt Tunnel East and Euston Tunnel, over 83,000 precast tunnel segments will be produced. Each ring has an 8.8m outside diameter, is 35cm thick and weighs 7t.
SCS tunnels for HS2 Phase One
The next two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), named Emily and Anne, will be launched by SCS in the new year. They were recently lowered into the ground using a 750t crane and blessed by a local priest.
Strabag has made a significant investment in Hartlepool, re-developing an old oil-rig fabrication site into a modern automated precast concrete facility. The HS2 contract has helped create over 100 jobs for local people, including a number of people who were previously unemployed.
The investment has extended to the rail head which runs alongside the factory, working with Network Rail to bring the disused line back into service and connecting it to the UK rail network. Strabag is also using the local supply chain, sourcing aggregate from local quarries and using UK recycled steel.
HS2 Ltd project client director Malcolm Codling said the segment delivery is “a further sign of momentum in the construction of HS2”.
“Strabag's investment in Hartlepool is an example of how HS2 is benefiting the UK economy,” he said. “Reinstating the rail head demonstrates a commitment to a long term future for the factory, and supports HS2’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact through construction.”
Strabag UK managing director Simon Wild said the firm is “delighted to see the first trains leaving for London”.
He said: “The direct access from the factory to the rail network is a huge location advantage that enables us to reduce the number of journeys by lorry and carbon emissions.”
SCS JV managing director James Richardson added: “The first delivery of tunnel segments from Hartlepool prepares us for a great year of delivery in 2024 on the HS2 London Tunnels project. From January our two newest TBMs, Emily and Anne, will use the segments to construct the eastern section of the Northolt Tunnel.
“By using rail to move 83,000 tunnel segments, we will reduce road congestion, cut CO2 emissions by 76% and pave the way to a greener, cleaner future.”
Strabag has also been awarded the contract to supply the segments for HS2’s Euston tunnel between Old Oak Common and Euston. Following the government’s Network North announcement in October, alternative funding arrangements for Euston are being considered.
Like what you've read? To receive New Civil Engineer's daily and weekly newsletters click here.
Tagged with: Costain High Speed 2 hs2 SCS Skanska skanska costain strabag skanska costain strabag jv Strabag
Work on the High Speed 2 (HS2) Interchange Station in Solihull is…
Use of a digital twin of the Euston Station redevelopment for High…
High Speed 2 (HS2) London tunnels chief James Richardson is to switch…
An announcement will be made “very soon” by the transport secretary Louise…
I suspect the £2.5bn+ Old Oak to Euston paused tunnelling costs can only realistically be realised from franchising – once HS2 Old Oak to Birmingham Interchange is built and operational. That happened with HS1. Meanwhile an early announcement could help explain matters. The HS1 concessionaire, High Speed 1 Ltd, operates and maintains the track and stations along the route under a 30-year-concession granted by [probably a Conservative] Secretary of State for Transport until 31 December 2040. The M1-A1 motorway extension north of Leeds, due to be handed back in 2026, was financed in the same way. Other similar schemes are also due to mature and could be used to reduce the Covid borrowing overhang. If the concessionaires are approached soon enough a mutually beneficial reduced, but longer series of payments could be negotiated.
The House of Commons Select committee report of 2012 into the sale of HS1 after the collapse of London & Continental Railways, makes interesting reading.
Precast Concrete Lining Segment Mold Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion.