Boring machine starts digging towards Birmingham

The 1,600-tonne machine, which is 125 metres long and named Elizabeth after Dame Elizabeth Cadbury, is at work on the second bore of HS2’s Bromford Tunnel.

The tunnel connects the east portal at Water Orton in North Warwickshire and the west portal at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

The 3.5-mile twin bore tunnel will take high speed trains in and out of Birmingham, with a series of viaducts between Washwood Heath and Curzon Street Station taking trains to the city centre.

The first TBM, which launched in June 2023 and was named Mary Ann – the real name of Warwickshire-born author George Eliot, has completed around one third of her journey digging towards Birmingham. So far, the machine has tunnelled under the Park Hall Nature Reserve, is currently near the River Tame, and will continue adjacent to the M6 at a depth of 27 metres before breaking through at Washwood Heath later this year. The second TBM is due to finish its journey in the autumn of 2025.

The full Bromford Tunnel programme is being delivered by around 450 people working for HS2’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI.

A specialist tunnelling team working for BBV’s sub-contractors Tunnelcraft and Solihull-based Rorcon, are operating both TBMs 24/7, with each bore taking around 16 months.

Catherine Loveridge, HS2’s senior project manager, said: “It’s fantastic to see this last West Midlands TBM get underway, marking another key moment for HS2 in the region. We’re now at peak construction on the project, delivering these massive feats of engineering using many local companies and local skills.

“Over a third of our total HS2 workforce are based at worksites across the West Midlands, and thousands more jobs are still to be created locally as work to build Curzon Street Station, Interchange Station and the Washwood Heath Depot gathers momentum.”

Jules Arlaud, tunnelling director for Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “Today marks Balfour Beatty VINCI’s fourth and final TBM launch – an incredible moment for our tunnelling team who have worked tirelessly to achieve this milestone.

“As Mary Ann continues her journey towards Washwood Heath in Birmingham, we’re now looking forward to having two machines underground, as this fascinating and complex stretch of the HS2 route inches another step closer to completion.”

Tunnelcraft have recruited nine tunnelling apprentices, including formerly unemployed people from the local area, providing a unique opportunity to learn new skills and start a new career.