How to build a railway
How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.
The podcast series features industry experts and special guests giving their unique insight on a whole range of topics including tunnelling, archaeology, ecology, architecture, building bridges, innovation, and rail systems. Each episode will focus on a different aspect of our story so far, from archaeology to enabling works, the main civils works underway and much more.
Across the series, Engineering Presenter Fran Scott, known for her explosive demonstrations on CBBC’s Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom and Channel4’s Lego Masters, will lead listeners on a journey covering every aspect of Europe’s largest infrastructure project.
The podcast series will feature insight into how the project is progressing, including huge feats of engineering such as tunnels, brand new stations, depots, viaducts and bridges.
Previous episodes
Episode One: The What and the Why of HS2
This episode focusses on why HS2 is needed, the historical context of our country’s railways, project progress so far and upcoming goals.
Episode Two: Unearthing history
This episode explores everything archaeology. HS2’s archaeology will reveal over 10,000 years of British history.
Episode Three: Preparing the ground
This episode takes a look at the early construction works that needed to be done on HS2.
Episode four: Creating the Green Corridor
This episode explores our endeavours to protect, replace and improve the green spaces that will run alongside the railway.
Episode Five: Opportunity for innovation
This episode dives into some of the ways HS2 is working to create collaborative innovation partnerships using new technology and processes.
Episode Six: Going underground
In this episode, we meet some of the team of expert engineers who are carving the 64 miles of tunnels on the first phase of the project.
Episode Seven: Building bridges
This episode of the HS2 podcast series goes back above ground to explore the design and construction of bridges.
Episode Eight: Our next stop is...
This episode of the HS2 podcast series is all about the journey, and the destination.
Episode Nine: From track to the cloud – the layers of railway systems
In this episode, we explore how it all fits together – how we integrate our rail systems.
Episode Ten: Keeping things clean – our journey to net zero
This episode explores the work that HS2 and our supply chain partners are doing to work towards cleaner construction.
Episode Eleven: Safe at Heart
This episode explores why nothing on this project is more important than the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone working on HS2.
Episode Twelve: Leaving a lasting legacy
This episode explores explores how HS2 is supporting the communities along the line of route and adopting lessons learned.