Tunneling on the U.K.’s 230-km London-Birmingham high-speed railroad launched May 13, as a 10.26-meter-dia tunnel boring machine (TBM) began work at the Chiltern Hills southern approach, about 30 kilometers northwest of England's capital.
“The start of HS2 project tunneling is a moment of genuine excitement for everyone involved,” stated Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2 Ltd., owner of the $17-billion project. Various project contractors will deploy 10 TBMs to bore the line’s 103 km of tunnels.