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Inside the Chiltern Tunnel
We're building dedicated new rail tunnels to carry HS2 trains.

Tunnels

The new high speed rail tunnels will form part of the HS2 network that will help connect the country, create thousands of jobs and rebalance the UK economy.

In total, around 65 miles (105km) of tunnel will be created between London and the West Midlands, and 130 million tonnes of earth will be excavated, enough to fill Wembley Stadium 15 times.

Ten giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be used, in five separate tunnel drives, to dig HS2’s twin-bore tunnels.  In addition, six cut and cover, or ‘green’, tunnels will also be built.

HS2 tunnels in numbers

Twin-bored tunnels

Ten giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be used, in five separate tunnel drives, to dig HS2’s twin-bore tunnels between London and the West Midlands.

  • Euston Tunnel: 4.5 miles (7.3km)
  • Northolt Tunnel: 8.4 miles (13.6km)
  • Chiltern Tunnel: 10 miles (16km)
  • Long Itchington Wood Tunnel: 1 mile (1.6km)
  • Bromford Tunnel: 3.5 miles (5.8 km)

Green tunnels

Six cut and cover, or ‘green’, tunnels will also be built between London and the West Midlands.

  • Copthall Green Tunnel: 0.55 miles (0.8km)
  • Wendover Green Tunnel: 0.9 miles (1.1km)
  • Greatworth Green Tunnel: 1.6 miles (2.7km)
  • Chipping Warden Green Tunnel: 1.5 miles (2.5km)
  • Long Itchington Wood Green Tunnel: 0.1 miles (0.1km)
  • Burton Green Green Tunnel: 0.5 miles (0.7km)

Our high-speed tunnels

Euston Approach Tunnels

Euston Approach Tunnels

Our Euston Approach Tunnels is the section of railway between Parkway and Hampstead Road in the London Borough of Camden.

Twin-bore tunnels

Twin-bore tunnels

Our twin-bore tunnels, each containing a single rail track, are constructed using tunnel boring machines (TBMs).

Green tunnels

Green tunnels

Our green tunnels will be built using the cut-and-cover method of construction, with trees and shrubs then planted on top.

Find out more about tunnelling on HS2

Meet our giant tunnelling machines

Meet our giant tunnelling machines

Our Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) are giant machines used to build tunnels.

London Logistics Hub

London Logistics Hub

The Logistics Hub will be the beating heart of tunnelling operations in West London.

We'll connect Britain with new high-speed tunnels

Longest tunnel The Chiltern Tunnel measuring 16km (10 miles) long.

Deepest tunnel The Chiltern Tunnel at 90 metres deep.

Total length of tunnel 65 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands.

HS2 Chiltern Tunnel in Buckinghamshire.

Further information

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