Huge HS2 tunnelling machines digging towards Birmingham

Two huge tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been launched on their way to dig the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel between Water Orton in North Warwickshire and Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

This update will show how the team of around 450 people worked together to begin the construction of the Bromford Tunnel.

The first TBM launched, in August 2023, is called 'Mary Ann' after Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, who was an English novelist. The name was suggested by the Warwickshire community.

The second bore began in March 2024 and will be dug by TBM 'Elizabeth' after Dame Elizabeth Cadbury, who spent her life campaigning for the education and welfare of women in Birmingham. Pupils from Paget Primary School in Birmingham chose the name.

The expert tunnelling team will operate the TBM 24/7, with each bore taking around 16 months. 1.87 million tonnes of material will be excavated and sifted at the on-site slurry treatment plant to be reused on nearby sites at the Delta Junction viaduct.

Find out more at: https://www.hs2.org.uk/bromford-tunnel/

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0:00 Introduction
0:11 What is the Bromford Tunnel?
0:29 Extending the tunnel
0:49 TBM Mary Ann progress update
1:23 How is the tunnel being built?
2:01 A collaborative effort
2:18 Constructing the porous portal
2:45 TBM Elizabeth progress update
3:26 Naming the second TBM
4:15 Working on the project
4:57 Tunnel segment factory
5:16 Reusing excavated material
5:55 Final thoughts
6:32 Outro

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