Hi. My name is Huw Edwards, Stations Director at HS2, and I'm thrilled to bring you the latest update on the delivery of HS2, Britain's new high speed railway. HS2 lays the foundations for a 21st and 22nd century railway
network, providing more track, more trains, more seats, more
connections and faster journeys to improve performance and reliability
across the wider railway network. The HS2 scheme will transform the
way we move between our major cities, with zero carbon journeys
between Birmingham and London and services, then continuing
onwards onto Manchester, the North-West and Scotland
on the existing railway network. HS2 is at peak construction right now, employing over 31,000
people day-in and day-out, bringing together the best of British
design, and British engineering. In our last update, we looked at progress made across 2023, and that momentum
has continued right into 2024, with many major construction milestones
already achieved and many more to come. Below ground, we've seen three
of our giant tunnel boring machines complete their tunnelling drives
in the first quarter of 2024. In January, we celebrated Tunnel Boring
Machine Lydia's breakthrough into the Old Oak Common Station box,
signifying the completion of the Atlas Road Logistics Tunnel, which is a key
part of our plans to enable the future construction of tunnels that will carry
high-speed trains into Euston. This was followed up by the completion
of tunnelling for the route’s longest tunnel, with Tunnel Boring Machine’s
Florence and Cecilia finishing their epic 10-mile journeys
under the Chiltern Hills, and breaking through at the northern portal
in Buckinghamshire in spectacular style. And while Lydia, Florence and Cecilia
have completed their drives and are already in the process
of being carefully dismantled, we've ramped up tunnelling activities
in London and in the West Midlands with the launch of a further
three tunnel boring machines. TBM’s Emily and Anne have started their drives,
some 25 metres below ground in West London, digging the new HS2 tunnels
under the capital for the first time. And in the West Midlands, TBM
Elizabeth has also been launched, joining her sister machine, Mary-Ann,
in digging the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel, which will surface
near our Washwood Heath Depot complex. This tunnel will take our trains
in and out of central Birmingham. Over half of the 56 miles
of bored rail tunnels on HS2 have now been completed. Above ground this year we’ve
see many more of HS2's major bridges and viaducts take shape,
with a range of innovative and world class engineering techniques
being used along the line of route to push these structures, slide them, cast
them on site, or lift them into place with some of the biggest cranes
available in Europe. When HS2 is operational,
our trains will travel on dedicated, resilient and reliable tracks – below ground, in tunnels and cuttings, and above ground across
a network of embankments, bridges and viaducts
at speeds of up to 225mph, helping almost halve the journey time
between Britain's two largest cities. For our future passengers, stations at Birmingham Curzon Street, Interchange, Old Oak Common and
Euston will be vibrant and accessible transport hubs, putting hundreds
of destinations within easy reach. On the ground today, our
priority is to deliver modern, eco-friendly stations, maintaining
the fantastic momentum we’ve built up to ensure initial high-speed
services between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street are
operational by the early 2030s. Today I'm at Old Oak Common,
which is set to be the best connected and largest new railway station ever built in Britain. With its modern design,
Old Oak Common offers seamless travel making journeys in and out
and around central London’s transport system quick, easy,
convenient and efficient. From Old Oak Common, London's West End
will be just 10 minutes away on the newly opened state of the art Elizabeth line,
with Liverpool Street Station just 20 minutes away
and in the other direction, Heathrow Airport, just 10 minutes
away on the Heathrow Express. And beyond London, Old Oak
Common will serve as a gateway to Wales and the south west through
Great Western Main Line services. This once industrial area of West London
is being transformed into a thriving, super connected neighborhood,
and an exciting development that will build a legacy for the local community
to be enjoyed for generations to come. Our brand new Interchange Station, in Solihull,
is set to revolutionise public transport in the West Midlands area and beyond. With seamless connections
between HS2’s Interchange Station, the NEC, Birmingham International
Station and Birmingham Airport, local roads and the UK motorway
network, this station is primed to become the ultimate hub for
commuters and leisure travellers alike. Just like Old Oak Common Station,
Interchange Station will be in the top 1% of eco-friendly buildings in Britain, making it
a global trailblazer in sustainable design and leading the charge
towards a greener future. Years of meticulous planning and
preparation has been taking place on this site, from removing existing
infrastructure such as these bridges over the M42, to remodelling local roads
and utility networks, creating space for construction of the
station to begin next year. In the heart of Birmingham, construction is underway on the landmark Curzon Street Station, heralding a new era of rail
travel in the West Midlands. This station, inspired by Victorian
railway architecture engineering, embodies our commitment to
blending tradition with innovation. The station will deliver excellent connectivity into the Eastside and Digbeth areas of Birmingham and is already enabling wider
regeneration in the area. There will be seamless connections to
the local transport network, including buses and the West Midlands Metro, with the tram line
running alongside and under the station, as we work closely with the West Midlands
Combined Authority, including Transport for the West Midlands. With our construction partners,
we have developed a detailed programme and work has begun on the station foundations, which will continue through the remainder of this year. Investment in our railways means two things:
better journeys and economic growth. Firms from every nation and region of
Britain are already helping to build HS2 today, with over 3,000 businesses
having already won contracts. The delivery of HS2 is opening up multi-billion
pound development projects in areas surrounding our new stations
in both London and the West Midlands. The investment HS2 has attracted to
the West Midlands is projected to add an additional 10 billion pounds to
the local economy over the next 10 years, creating 41,000 additional
homes and 30,000 new jobs. Regeneration in West London, meanwhile,
at Old Oak Common, is set to provide 25,000 new homes and 60,000 jobs. As the catalyst for urban regeneration,
improved local transport connections, increased housing
provision and of course, new jobs. HS2 benefits local people, local
businesses and the wider economy. Thank you for joining us on this journey and stay tuned
for more updates as we continue to deliver HS2. If you like what you've seen,
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