All the latest news and views.
HS2’s civils partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), has opened the doors to its giant construction compound in Kingsbury, Warwickshire and revealed the scale of works underway ready to build one of the most complex sections of the HS2 route – the Delta Junction. The 550,000 square metre site (equivalent to 74 Read more…
HS2’s designers have reduced the length of wall structures for the railway at Streethay from 1.6 kilometres to 420 metres, meaning 80% less concrete will be needed, supporting HS2’s ambition to cut carbon on the project. The railway will pass through Streethay in a cutting, and the shortening of the Read more…
HS2 Ltd has been granted planning permission by Birmingham City Council for two viaducts which will take the new high-speed railway into Curzon Street Station in the city centre. Curzon Viaduct No.3 and Lawley Middleway Viaduct are part of the Curzon Street Station Approach area, which is made up of Read more…
HS2’s main works contractor, EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall – has begun construction at the site of its first innovative ‘green tunnel’, designed to blend the high-speed railway into the landscape and reduce disruption for communities. Unlike a normal underground tunnel, Read more…
Balfour Beatty VINCI Joint Venture (BBV) is currently trialling the world’s first all-electric, high-capacity drilling rig on a construction site in Warwickshire, as the Joint Venture steps up its plans to meet HS2 Ltd’s ambition for diesel-free construction sites. The 100 tonne BAUER eBG33 drilling rig creates an overall reduction Read more…
Speaking on behalf of the Railway Industry Association, the Rail Freight Group and the High Speed Rail Group, a spokesperson commented on the decision to scrap the Golborne Link: “It is hugely disappointing to discover that, on a day when much political attention was focused elsewhere, the Government confirmed that the ‘Golborne Link’ is to Read more…
HS2 Ltd has revealed the design for the new state-of-the-art maintenance hub, which will house the people and equipment that will keep the first phase of HS2 running smoothly and efficiently.
HS2’s Carbon Manager, Mark Fenton shares HS2’s plan to reduce carbon emissions across the railway network with Mimi Ibrahim in Focus Magazine, Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, May 2022
What methods are being utilised to ensure that HS2 has achieved net-zero throughout the entire network by 2035?
The net-zero carbon plan published earlier at the start of this year sets out some new commitments and targets – primarily achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035. As part of this, we have a series of stepping stone targets to get us to that point. We have a target to reduce whole-life carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. We will achieve this by applying the carbon reduction hierarchy.
We’re implementing that by working with our supply chain and engaging with industry groups and research organisations so that we can identify and implement lower-carbon materials, use alternative fuels, renewable energy, and new construction methods.
All the various designs to reduce the carbon footprint of the program and support the decarbonisation of the UK construction sector and we’re achieving approximately a 25% reduction across phase one. Some of the ways that we’re doing that are by (more…)
We have submitted the following letter to the Transport Secretary seeking to protect HS2’s Golborne link. Together with the Railway Industry Association and Rail Freight Group, the letter points out that the Golborne link has already been factored into the budget for HS2, and that axing the line would create Read more…
Two brand-new images have been released showing the concept design for the exterior and interior of the new HS2 station at London Euston. The designs, updated from 2015, are based on a less complex, more efficient, ten-platform station which can now be built in a single stage. They have been drawn up by a design consortium made up of Arup, WSP and Grimshaw Architects, working into HS2’s Station Construction Partner, Mace Dragados JV (MDJV). (more…)