HS2 in Brent and Ealing
HS2 in your area
The railway runs entirely in tunnel through Brent and Ealing, which reduces the impact on communities above ground. Four ventilation shafts in this area connect the tunnels to the surface.
What we're building
Euston tunnel
The Euston tunnel runs for 4.5 miles (7.2km) beneath central London, connecting Euston station to Old Oak Common station.
Two headhouses will support the Euston approaches. A headhouse sits above a shaft that ventilates the tunnels and provides emergency access.
Euston Portal headhouse
This headhouse will sit closest to Euston station, at the entrance to the Euston tunnel on Park Village East, south of Mornington Street Bridge in Camden. Its design draws on the local area, which has a diverse mix of buildings from Victorian to post-war styles.
Euston Cavern headhouse
This headhouse will sit in the railway cutting at the northern end of Park Village East, next to the west coast main line. The split-level, three-storey building will be clad in traditional blue-grey engineering brick, in keeping with the area’s Victorian railway architecture.
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 ventilates the tunnel and provides emergency access.
Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) launched from this site to bore the eastern section of the Northolt tunnel.
We removed excavated earth through a conveyor belt network connecting the site to the London logistics hub at Willesden Euroterminal.
Read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
Northolt tunnel
The Northolt tunnel runs for 8.4 miles (13.5km) beneath west London, carrying passengers from Old Oak Common to West Ruislip.
Five headhouses will support the Northolt tunnel. Four are in Brent and Ealing. Each headhouse sits above a shaft that ventilates the tunnel and provides emergency access.
Victoria Road headhouse
The Victoria Road headhouse sits alongside the high-speed railway crossover box, west of where we’re building Old Oak Common station. The crossover box is a large underground structure that houses a track mechanism allowing HS2 trains to switch between tracks as they approach and leave the station.
Westgate headhouse
The Westgate headhouse sits on the Chiltern line embankment, embedded in the HS2 green corridor – the network of new wildlife habitats, woodlands and community spaces we’re creating along the route.
The landscaping includes a green roof and mixed planting to help the structure blend in with its natural surroundings.
Green Park Way headhouse
The Green Park Way headhouse also sits along the Chiltern line embankment, within the HS2 green corridor. The landscaping includes a green roof and varied planting so the building sits naturally in its setting.
Mandeville Road headhouse
The Mandeville Road headhouse is in Ealing, on the site of the former Affinity Water pumping station off Mandeville Road, Northolt – a residential area with Northolt station to the west and the Network Rail corridor to the south.
The building’s materials change with the landscape, moving from brick to metal to wood as the surroundings shift from urban centre to rural edge.
Read about the HS2 works and developments taking place in Brent and Ealing
How we manage construction
We work to minimise disruption for residents and businesses, reduce the impact on roads and transport, protect the environment, and keep communities informed at every stage.
Current work in the area
How and why we're building HS2
HS2 works near you
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