HS2 in Brent and Ealing
HS2 in your area
The railway stays mostly underground as it passes through west London. It’s entirely in tunnel through Brent and Ealing, which helps reduce impacts above ground. There are four ventilation shafts in this area connecting the tunnels to the surface.
What we're building in Brent and Ealing
Euston tunnel
The 4.5 miles (7.2km) Euston tunnel under central London will carry passengers between Euston station and Old Oak Common station.
Learn about the Euston tunnel construction or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Victoria Road Crossover Box
The Victoria Road Crossover Box, near Old Oak Common in west London, allows HS2 trains to switch tracks underground before reaching the station.
The site includes the Victoria Road Ancillary Shaft, which provides ventilation and emergency access to the rail line.
Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) launched from this site to build the eastern section of the Northolt Tunnel.
We removed excavated material through a conveyor belt network connecting the site to the London Logistics Hub at Willesden Euroterminal.
Learn more about Victoria Road Crossover Box or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Northolt tunnel
The 8.4 miles (13.5km) Northolt tunnel under west London will carry passengers from Old Oak Common to West Ruislip.
Learn more about the Northolt tunnel or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Northolt tunnel headhouses
Five headhouses will support the Northolt tunnel. Four of these are located in Brent and Ealing.
A headhouse sits above shafts, which ventilate the tunnels for the railway and provide emergency access.
Victoria Road headhouse
The Victoria Road headhouse sits alongside the high-speed railway crossover box, west of where we’re building the new Old Oak Common station superhub. The huge underground box structure will house a crossover track mechanism that will allow HS2 trains to switch between tracks as they approach and descend from Old Oak Common station.
Learn about the the Victoria Road headhouse or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Westgate headhouse
The Westgate headhouse is on the Chiltern line embankment. It’s embedded into the green corridor – the network of new wildlife habitats, woodlands and community spaces helping to leave a lasting legacy along the route.
The landscaping design includes a green roof and mixed vegetation, which will help the structure blend in with the natural environment.
Read about the Westgate headhouse or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Green Park Way headhouse
The Green Park Way headhouse is along the Chiltern line embankment. The structure merges with the green corridor – a network of newly created wildlife habitats, woodlands and community spaces contributing to a sustainable legacy along the HS2 route.
The landscaping plan includes a green roof and diverse vegetation to help the headhouse blend into its natural surroundings.
Learn more about the Green Park Way headhouse or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Mandeville Road headhouse
The Mandeville Road headhouse is in Ealing, 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.
Materials shift with place, from brick to metal to wood, echoing the changes in landscape from rural edges to urban centres.
Learn more about the Mandeville Road headhouse or read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Managing impacts of construction
We're working to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses, reduce the impact on roads and transport, minimise our impact on the environment, and keep communities informed at every stage.
Current work in the area
Local area information
In autumn 2024, the government confirmed we’ll build HS2 to Euston. We’re now preparing to build the tunnel from Old Oak Common. We’ll start work on the tunnel shafts, headhouses and station approaches later.
We’re reviewing the whole HS2 programme as part of a major reset. This means we’re making sure we build everything in the right order. We’ll keep you updated on when work at the Euston approaches and Euston tunnel headhouses will restart.
Email newsletters
Subscribe to our regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.