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West Ruislip Portal tunnelling update

Work item: HS2-EW-SCS-Ph1-Ar-So-S2 -Tun-3-2/12/24

Work Item Summary

Project Phase
Phase 1
Region
Hillingdon
Location
Breakspear Road South
Worksite Name
West Ruislip
Contractor
SCS JV
Type of works
Concrete break out, Conveyor, Removal of conveyor structure
Estimated Start Date
27/12/2024
Estimated End Date
02/02/2025

What we are doing

Tunnel construction update
We are writing to let you know that we expect Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Sushila to complete her tunnelling journey from West Ruislip to the Green Park Way Vent Shaft on 13 December. This milestone marks the completion of part of the tunnel construction of the new HS2 line linking Euston to Birmingham. We expect TBM Caroline to reach the Green Park Way site in March 2025.

Removal of the conveyor structure
We will begin dismantling and removing the conveyor structures by crane from within the West Ruislip Portal entrance from 2 January until July 2025.

From 2 January to 2 February 2025 we will work 24 hours, seven days a week. To avoid overnight disturbance, we will carry out metal cutting and concrete breaking works from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. We will place acoustic blankets fixed to Heras fencing around the concrete breaking area to reduce the noise.

We do not expect any additional noise because the conveyor, support operations and machinery movements carried out to run TBM Sushila’s downline tunnelling operations will have stopped. When TBM Caroline completes tunnelling, we will repeat the removal of the conveyor structures which have been supporting the upline tunnelling operations. We will update you regularly as the works progress from now until July 2025.

Construction will continue over the Christmas period on the cross passage at our ventilation shaft in Northolt, which will be supported by vehicle movements at the West Ruislip Portal.

Concrete cutting and removal works within the tunnel
While TBM Caroline stops tunnelling over the Christmas break, we will remove the temporary concrete tunnel floor inside the entrance, install drainage and then replace with the permanent concrete tunnel floor.

These works will take place on 27, 28, 30 and 31 December between 8am and 6pm, and on 29 December between 10am to 5pm.

We would like to apologise in advance for any disruption or inconvenience this may cause. Every effort is being taken to ensure that these works are carried out in the least impactful wa

Download information relating to these works

Find out more about

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email [email protected]