James Somper
Updated: 13 May 2021, 22:42
THE world’s longest tunnelling machine prepares to start digging as the HS2 rail project finally gets under way.
Florence, the 170-metre-long boring machine, weighing 2,000 tons, will spend the next three-and-a-half years drilling ten miles of tunnel at 15 metres every day.
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Florence will spend the next three-and-a-half years drilling ten miles of tunnel at 15 metres every dayCredit: PA
Ten borers will dig 64 miles of tunnel for the project, linking London to the Midlands.
This machine, in West Hyde, Herts, is named after nurse Florence Nightingale.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The launch today of the first giant tunnelling machine on HS2 is not only a landmark moment for the project, but the ground-breaking evidence that shows our commitment to levelling up transport links across the UK, supporting thousands of jobs and hundreds of apprenticeships in the process.
Florence, the largest ever tunnel boring machine used on a UK rail project - is unveiled at the HS2 site in West Hyde. Credit: PA The boss of HS2 has said he hopes the UK gets behind the controversial project following the launch of its first giant tunnelling machine. Chief executive Mark Thurston described the start of work to dig a 10-mile tunnel under the Chiltern Hills as a major step forward . The 558ft (170m) long tunnel boring machine (TMB) was launched at HS2 s site near Maple Cross, by the M25 motorway, on Thursday. It will work non-stop for three years and is one of 10 TBMs being deployed between London and the West Midlands for Phase 1 of the high-speed railway.
Chief executive Mark Thurston described digging of tunnel under Chiltern Hills as a major step forward
The 558ft (170m) long tunnel boring machine (TBM) was launched at a site in Buckinghamshire near M25
The machine is fitted with a drill head which is 33feet wide and will work non-stop for three years
It will operate as a self-contained factory with a crew of 17 people working 12-hour shifts to keep it running
From wildlife to changing landscapes - how HS2 could impact Hertfordshire
It s likely that the state-of-the-art high-speed train line would have an impact on Herts residents
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Aerial view of the Chiltern Tunnel South Portal (Image: HS2)
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Proposed as long as 12 years ago, the possible impact of HS2 is still rumbling on today.