Mandeville Road Headhouse

The Mandeville Road Headhouse in Ealing is one of four shafts along the Northolt Tunnel route of HS2. It is located on the old Affinity Water pumping station off Mandeville Road, Northolt. This is a residential area with Northolt Station to the west and the Network Rail corridor to the south.

Headhouse construction

Currently, works are ongoing to build the ventilation shaft and satellite shaft with works to build the headhouse building planned from early 2025.

A ventilation shaft, or vent shaft, is the vertical opening that connects the HS2 tunnels, 35 metres below the surface, to the open air. It regulates air quality and temperature in the tunnel and allows smoke to be extracted in the event of a fire. The headhouse is the building on top of the ventilation shaft which contains fire control systems and the ventilation systems for the railway tunnels below.

Slides from Residents’ meeting – June 2025

Slides from Residents’ meeting – March 2025

Headhouse design

The vent shaft is located on the Central Line embankment fading the boundaries between the building and its surroundings to integrate the architecture and landscape. It is embedded into the green corridor; the network of new wildlife habitats, woodlands and community spaces, helping to leave a lasting legacy along the route.

We are planning to use similar materials at all headhouses between Euston and West Ruislip. The materials palette has been chosen according to the local environment, moving from brick through metal and towards wood as we move between rural and urban locations. Our future landscape plan considers local ecology and the vegetation requirements for a site next to a live railway.

Mandeville Road Headhouse information boards (Summer 2020)