Latest news

We wrote you in May to advise you that we would be carrying out utility connections along Harvil Road to facilitate the construction of the road realignment.

From Monday 16th August 2021 , we will start the next phase of these works which will continue until the end of September 2021.

There will be temporary traffic changes to ensure the work zone is safe. The northbound lane will be closed between the Dogs Trust and north of the railway bridge. This may affect travel times on Harvil Road. There will be no changes to any of the other roads as you travel through the rest of the area.

Celadine Way diversion:

Our works have progressed to a stage where we need to close and divert the Celandine Way. This temporary change will divert along the recently updated U43 footpath and utilise the new crossing point over Breakspear Road South. These works will start week commencing 13 September 2021.

Our works have now progressed to the point where we need to occupy additional land to facilitate works on the railway. This area is shown on the map below and is to the north of the current hoarding line. This area will allow us to fully build the internal haul road and Stockpile essential materials for these works.

As part of our ongoing pledge to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you .

This is a reminder that we're moving your local website within the HS2 website.

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

The road closure for the conveyor bridge installation over Newyears Green Lane was unable to go ahead as planned on the 2nd of August.

These works have now been rescheduled and will take place the week commencing the 9th of August 2021 . Works will take place on these dates between 8am to 6pm.

From mid-August, we will be starting our preconstruction work, on the southside of the Ruislip Golf Course. This is part of our work to divert our sewer, to make way for the new HS2 line.

Long Drive update:

We wrote to you in July to advise you that we would be carrying out sewer investigation works 19 August 2021. However, we need to reschedule these activities which will now take place on the night of 17 August 2021 .

In a UK first, on-site 3D reinforced concrete printing is set to deliver environmental, cost and community benefits for Britain’s new high speed rail network .

The cutting-edge technology, called ‘Printfrastructure’, will be deployed by our London tunnels contractor SCS JV (Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture), in a move that represents a major step forward in construction technology.

Printing concrete with computer operated robots will enable SCS JV to make structures on site, instead of transporting them as pre-cast slabs by road before being assembled and lowered into place by large cranes.

As flexible mobile technology, 3D concrete printing enables the technique to be deployed in physically-restricted areas – avoiding the need to develop complicated and potentially expensive logistical plans.

Where our construction is happening besides a live railway, it also offers an opportunity to deliver works without disrupting the travelling public as a robot will print the reinforced concrete, enabling construction to continue and trains to run at the same time.

Previously work would have taken place overnight after trains have stopped running, potentially disturbing the local community, or would have required the suspension of services to ensure safe working.

Using a computer-controlled robot enables the reinforced concrete structures to be printed with a strengthening unique internal lattice structure, which not only significantly reduces the quantity of concrete required but also cuts waste.

But the breakthrough is underlined by technology developed by SCS JV’s Worcestershire-based partner, ChangeMaker 3D. Working with UK advanced materials specialist, Versarien, the high-tech compnay's innovation takes the 3D concrete printing process and combines it with the strongest material ever tested: graphene.

Concrete with microscopic strands of graphene only several atoms thick running through it like stripes in a stick of rock replaces traditional steel to help drive improved site safety, greater construction flexibility, shorter build time and a smaller carbon footprint.

SCS JV estimates that the process it is developing with the Midlands firm could reduce the concrete used and contribute toward reducing carbon by up to 50 per cent.

By removing steel and simplifying the construction process, which will no longer require cranes and significantly fewer delivery trucks, the carbon reduction could be even greater. Proof of concept trials are due to begin in Spring 2022.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 2 August, 3pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

. Works in your area

. Highways and traffic

. Noise and vibration

. Utility works

. Community engagement

. Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

We wrote to you in June to advise you that we would be starting the next phase of the bored piles installation at Breakspear Road South from 21 June to 31 July. However, we will require additional time to complete these works which will continue until 6 August 2021 .

We will also be installing sheet piles within our site compound at the same time.

Utility surveys at Long Drive

We wrote to you in May to advise you that we would be carrying out sewer investigation works on 25 and 26 May 2021. However, we need to carry out some additional works which will now take place on the night of 19 August 2021 .

On 7 and 8 August 2021 , we will be carrying out repair works to the existing access from the bell mouth junction off Ickenham High Road at the West Ruislip site entrance.

This is a reminder that as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you and are moving your local website within the HS2 website.

The contents of this website will be moving over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website, and we are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project to give you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

From 10 to 18 August 2021 , we will be carrying out ground investigation works along West End Road at the rail bridge.

From 19 to 23 August 2021 , we will be carrying out ground investigation works along Bridgwater Road at the rail bridge. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

Your utility services will not be affected.

HS2 and our contractors SCSJV will be holding an online information event on Thursday 29 July from 3pm to 5pm to share our designs of the Copthall Tunnel, between Breakspear Road South and Harvil Road, as well as the Northern Sustainable Placement Areas, located off Newyears Green Lane.

Join us to find out about:

You will be able to hear from our team of experts and ask questions.

This event is being held on:

Thursday 29 July from 3pm to 5pm

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 2 August, 3pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

. Works in your area

. Highways and traffic

. Noise and vibration

. Utility works

. Community engagement

. Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

Ahead of its arrival into the capital, the team leading the design and construction of Britain’s new railway, High Speed Two (HS2), is hitting the streets with a brand-new community roadshow.

The roadshow team will visit towns and cities from north to south this summer, as part of a bumper programme of community-focused activity highlighting the thousands of jobs, skills, training and new business opportunities that HS2 is creating.

The HS2 roadshow will make three stops in the capital with pop up events scheduled to take place in Kings Cross on 5th August, Uxbridge on 2nd September and Ealing on 21st September. The events will allow residents and visitors to find out more about the exciting plans, now well underway, to bring Britain’s new railway to the capital at its flagship new station in Old Oak Common and its terminus in Euston. Both locations are being transformed in readiness for HS2’s arrival, spearheading new housing, commercial developments, urban realms and job opportunities which will benefit local people.

Experts from all areas of the HS2 project will be on hand at each event, armed with a wealth of resources to experience during the event or to take away. So, if you’re looking for a new career, or want to find out how your business might benefit from one of 400,000 contract opportunities generated from the first phase of construction works, then head down to the roadshow to find out more.

Works are ongoing at our sites at Harvil Road and Newyears Green Lane to build the new bridge over the Chiltern Line railway, the Copthall tunnel and the conveyor system.

From 2 August 2021 , we will be carrying out the following activities:

We will continue to monitor noise, dust and vibration throughout our works and ensure that adequate measures are in place to minimise disruption.

From 27 to 29 July 2021 , a road closure will be in place to complete the installation of crash barriers near the entrance to our site on Breakspear Road South.

A diversion will be in place via Swakeleys Road B467/ High Road B466/Ickenham Road/ High Street/ Bury Street A4180/ Breakspear Road.

From the 2 to 6 August 2021 , we will be carrying out a 5-day trial of a machine that breaks down concrete into smaller reusable parts.

If this trial is successful, it will mean that the number of lorry movements required to transport concrete to and from site will be reduced and will remove a significant number of lorries from local roads.

HS2 and our contractors SCSJV will be holding an online information event on Thursday 29 July from 3pm to 5pm to share our designs of the Copthall Tunnel, between Breakspear Road South and Harvil Road, as well as the Northern Sustainable Placement Areas, located off Newyears Green Lane.

Join us to find out about:

You will be able to hear from our team of experts and ask questions.

This event is being held on:

Thursday 29 July from 3pm to 5pm

Archaeologists working in on the HS2 project in West London have uncovered a fascinating rare set of Iron Age 'potins', an early version of the coin, dating back to the 1st Century BC .

The hoard of over 300 potins was discovered in Hillingdon in August last year. It is a significant historical find and may be recognised as “treasure” under British Law. ‘The Hillingdon Hoard’ – as it has been called – dates back to the late Iron Age, during a period of change as the Romans began to establish themselves in Britain and create Londinium.

The potins are based on coins struck in Marseille, France, about 2,175 years ago, which bear the left-facing head of Apollo on one side and a bull charging right on the other. The use of these early coins spread across northern Europe and in England their use was commonly linked to Kent, Essex or Hertfordshire.

The term ‘potin’ refers to the base metal silver-like alloy used in coins. It is typically a mixture of copper, tin and lead. Historians are unclear what the potins were used for during the Iron Age, particularly as the exchange of goods and service - or bartering - is thought to have been the main method of commerce at that time, nor why the coins were deposited where they were found.

The site in Hillingdon was undergoing archaeological excavation and analysis led by our enabling works contractor, Costain Skanska joint venture (CS JV) and the archaeologists involved were elated to make such a significant discovery. Archaeologists now analysing the discovery believe the potins may have been to mark the boundary of a property or as an offering to the gods - in a woodland clearing or near a sacred spring. It is not unusual for a hoard to be found in an apparently isolated location and they may also have been buried as saving hoards or as emergency hoards in times of crisis.

A hoard of a similar size, the ‘Sunbury hoard’ was discovered in 2010 but the potins were dated much earlier in the Iron Age. Potins from late in the Iron Age, similar to the Hillingdon Hoard, have been found previously but in much smaller quantities, making this find very significant.

Because of the significance of the find, and the high number of coins, the local coroner was alerted. The coroner will determine whether the discovery amounts to ‘treasure’ after considering specialist evidence from the British Museum. The potins were the removed from site for specialist cleaning, conservation and assessment.

In the London region, the oldest archaeology we have found was dated to 11,000 years ago - a period known as the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age. From this period, stone tools and artefacts have been discovered at locations which suggested people were living on the banks of the river. This would have provided a rich supply of food and water for these hunter-gatherers to exploit. Later evidence from the Bronze Age, about 4,000 years ago, further indicates human activity near the river, with finds including cremations and a possible roundhouse. However, until the potins were uncovered no archaeological evidence of activity was encountered for almost another 3,500 years.

The value of the hoard has not yet been determined, nor has its future location. Under the Treasure Act, the coroner will determine whether the find constitutes Treasure and if a museum wishes to acquire the potins, on the advice of specialists at the British Museum the coroner will conduct an inquest at which recommendations for the find will be made and a potential value placed upon it.

The hoard was found during our works on land that was occupied temporarily. We are not making any claim on the hoard and under the Treasure Act archaeologists are not entitled to a share of any reward. Our approach to the archaeological work was developed in discussion with Historic England to ensure the site was carefully examined to find, protect or investigate important archaeology before construction begins.

We are participating in this year’s Festival of Archaeology, which begins on 19th July. A series of webinars are being held and members of the public are invited to register and find out more about this, and other, fascinating discoveries.

On the weekend of 24 and 25 July 2021 , we will be carrying out utility installation works. We will be working extended hours on both days finishing at 5pm instead of our normal hours of 1pm on weekends.

These works will be confined to our site compound area, within the bell mouth where vehicles access the site from Harvil Road.

Your utility services will not be affected.

Over the coming months we will be carrying out some enabling works in the Harvil Road area. These works will allow us to prepare the area which is required for the temporary storage and treatment of the soil that will be removed from the tunnels, before they are placed in their final location.

As part of our extensive environmental programme, our contractors have now planted 700,000 trees and created over 100 wildlife sites along the route between the West Midlands and London .

The wildlife sites represent a mix of different habitat types, including grassland, woodland, scrub and ponds, and are already havens for wildlife including birds, bats, barn owls, badgers, great crested newts, butterflies and dragonflies.

Alongside our environmental contractors, we have designed tailored ecology plans that provide habitats for local wildlife and protected species including new badger setts, bat houses, bird boxes, reptile banks and bug houses, along with wildflower seeding, aquatic habitat creation and the reintroduction of native flora to help local wildlife populations thrive.

Up to 7 million trees will eventually be planted alongside the line from the West Midlands to London and we will leave behind more than 33 square kilometres of new woodland, wildlife and river habitats - the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

In addition, our Woodland Fund has also allocated over £1.2m as part of a grant scheme managed by the Forestry Commission, with 213,000 trees already planted including 92 hectares of new woodland creation and 52 hectares of ancient woodland restoration. For example, a project at Avon Wood in Warwickshire has created a diverse new 11-hectare woodland within three miles of the new railway. More than 18,000 new trees have been planted there, with 30% of the woodland being oak, with the rest mainly made up of hornbeam, alder, beech, lime, holly and birch.

We are continuing to progress with potential new schemes to be supported through the Woodland Fund, which could eventually support an additional 440 hectares of new native woodland creation as well as the restoration of 245 hectares of existing ancient woodland sites. Every habitat site is designed specifically to support local biodiversity, to link up existing wildlife habitats and create ecological networks which help to protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity and allow species to move through the landscape.

Examples of new habitats sites include:

This week we have launched ‘Cecilia’, the second of the two tunnelling machines that will excavate the ten mile long tunnels beneath the Chiltern hills. The first machine ‘Florence’ was launched just over a month ago.

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is named after pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who was born in Buckinghamshire, with the name suggested by pupils at the nearby Chalfont Community College and chosen in a public vote. It will operate alongside an identical machine named ‘Florence’, with each machine excavating separate northbound and southbound tunnels and will help to safeguard the woodland and wildlife habitats above ground.

Despite starting second, Cecilia will run slightly faster, aided by geological data fed back from Florence, meaning that both machines are due to break through at around the same time.

In total there will be ten TBMs working to create 64 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands for the high speed rail project which is already securing jobs and helping the UK to build back better from the pandemic. More than 16,000 jobs and over 500 apprenticeships are already being supported by the project which is set to transform transport links between Britain’s major cities, free up space on the rail network for more freight and local services and support the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions.

The first two TBMs are operated by our main works contractor, Align – a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick – and launched from a site by the M25 to the north west of London. Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, the two identical TBMs are powered by zero carbon electricity and move at a speed of up to 15 metres a day. Each machine operates as a self-contained underground factory - digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place.

Each tunnel will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced segments – which will all be made on site. A crew of 17 people will operate each TBM, working in shifts to keep the machines running 24/7. They will be supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation. Chalk excavated from the tunnels will be used for landscaping at the south portal site once construction is complete, creating wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats across 127 hectares of the southern Chiltern hills.

Align is recruiting 1,200 personnel in total, including 100 apprentices, to work on the Central 1 Area of Phase One that it is delivering and are targeting their recruitment and investment to upskilling local people who are currently unemployed, with a particular focus on women, the under 25s and those with disabilities.

We are progressing to a stage in our works where we will be diverting a number of footpaths. These works will facilitate the completion of the internal haul road and help to keep as many vehicles off local roads as possible. Our first diversion is the U46 footpath, the short footpath that runs from the Celadine Way to Breakspear Road South near Oak Farm.

As part of our ongoing pledge to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you .

This is a reminder that we're moving your local website within the HS2 website

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

From 12 to 30 July 2021 , we will be carrying out overnight surveys along Breakspear Road South and Harvil Road. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

Survey duration

Your utility services will not be affected.

Works are ongoing at our sites at Harvil Road and Newyears Green Lane to build the new road realignment, the Copthall Tunnels and the conveyor system. Some of these works will need to take place during extended working hours.

From 7 July until 31 October 2021 , we will be extending our working hours on our sites and will be undertaking work on site from 7am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday. This is an extension of our core working hours of 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8pm to 1pm on Saturdays.

Ground Investigations:

From 6 to 20 July 2021 , we will be carrying out ground investigation along Ickenham Road and High Road near the West Ruislip train station

Blenheim Crescent utility surveys:

We wrote to you in April to advise you that we would be carrying out sewer investigation works on 23 April 2021. However, we will require additional time to complete these works which will take place from the 6 to 9 July 2021 .

We have obtained approval for an ambitious scheme which will use material excavated from the Chiltern tunnels to create 127 hectares of new chalk grassland, woodland, wood pasture and wetland habitats around the tunnel’s south portal .

The ‘Colne Valley Western Slopes’ project – which was approved under Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act by Three Rivers District Council and Buckinghamshire Council – will see the transformation of what is now a construction site into one of the largest areas of new chalk grassland in the Chiltern hills.

This will sit alongside new areas of woodland, wood pasture and wetlands, including almost 65,000 trees and shrubs of 32 species and nearly 3.5km of new hedgerows. Around 4.5km of new footpath, cycling and horse-riding routes will give the public access to large parts of the site, which sits between the Colne Valley Regional Park and the Chilterns AONB.

UPDATE:

We wrote you in April to advise you that we would be carrying out bored piling works at Breakspear Road South to facilitate the construction of overbridges at these locations. From Monday 21st of June , we will start the next phase of these works which will continue until the end of July .

We do not expect there to be any noise and vibration or disturbance to nearby residents. Monitoring will be in place throughout these works.

We have been informed that the London Borough of Hillingdon will have a full road closure at Breakspear Road South on Monday 14 June 2021 , for one week to carry out resurfacing works from the south of the Chiltern Line bridge to Swakeleys junction.

As a result of these works, the SCS site team at Breakspear Road South have cancelled their works planned for next week. (Notice of works for the U46 footpath road crossing HS2-EW-SCS-Ph1-Ar-So-S1-Traf-33-14/06/2021)

We would like to invite you to online information events highlighting the ways in which we are preserving the quality and supply of water during our works in the Chilterns and the Colne Valley .

These online "webinars" have been set up to give residents the opportunity to hear and ask questions about:

Our team of experts will provide a presentation on the ways in which our construction has been designed to reduce impacts on ground and surface water. They will be available to answer any questions you may have during the event in a Question and Answer section.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite for the events on the following dates:

This is a reminder that as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we will be introducing a number of improvements to the ways in which we share information with you .

We’re moving your local website within the HS2 website

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

We wrote to you previously to advise you that we would be carrying out works from 4 to 18 May 2021. However, we will require additional time to complete these works and the works will now take place from 14 to 19 June 2021 . We will be clearing vegetation to assist with further ground investigations.

On 18 June 2021 , we will be carrying out utility investigations along Herlwyn Avenue.

We will undertake surveys of the manholes in the area, using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage, we may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

Your utility services will not be affected.

In our notification in April, we said we would notify you if it became necessary to work outside of standard hours. From Saturday 4 June until 31 July 2021 , we will extend our finish time on Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm . We hope to reduce the overall duration of the works by working extended hours on Saturdays.

Piling works at our site on Harvil Road will continue until 31 July 2021. These works are needed to stabilise the ground while we build the over bridges at these locations. It is an effective approach to combating corrosion and is proven to significantly improve the life expectancy of a structure.

From 14 June 2021 , we will be carrying out works near the U46 footpath. These works will allow us to prepare the area for the U46 Breakspear Road South footpath crossing.

The works are located in close proximity to the road. For safety reasons, we require temporary traffic management to be in place for the duration of these works.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 7 June, 4pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

. Works in your area

. Highways and traffic

. Noise and vibration

. Utility works

. Community engagement

. Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

We are continuing piling works at our West Ruislip site near the River Pinn until 30 June 2021. These works are required to stabilise the ground and protect the Network Rail tracks while we build the bridge over the River Pinn.

Update on sheet piling works near the River Pinn

We will be carrying out works over one weekend ( 19 & 20 June 2021 ) in the bell mouth where vehicles access the site from Ickenham High Road. We are connecting a foul sewer from site to a chamber that sits underneath the centre of the junction.

Once connected the trench will be backfilled and the work area reinstated. We will carry out the main cut into the concrete within normal working hours on the Friday 18 June, to minimise noise on the weekend.

We wrote to you recently to advise you that we would be carrying out ecological surveys on 17 May and 1 June along Newyears Green Lane. Due to poor weather conditions, we were unable to complete the surveys.

We therefore require additional time to complete these works, which will now be completed on 1 and 14 June 2021 . A road closure will be required between 8pm and 5am to ensure these works can be carried out safely.

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project we are introducing a number of improvements to the ways in which we share information with you.

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

These changes will help to

From 9 to 18 June 2021 , we will be digging trial holes in Victoria Retail Park on Victoria Road, Ruislip. These trial holes will provide us with information on the condition of the ground in advance of utilities installation into our site while building HS2.

We will be digging five trial holes between Victoria Road and our site behind the Victoria Retail Park. Each trial hole will take approximately two to three days to complete.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 7 June, 4pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

. Works in your area

. Highways and traffic

. Noise and vibration

. Utility works

. Community engagement

. Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

Update:

We wrote to you in April to advise that we would be carrying out utility works from 17 May to 30 September 2021 and over two weekends. However, additional weekend working will be required.

From 17 May 2021, we will be carrying out utility surveys and utility connection along Harvil Road as part of the road realignment works. Temporary traffic management and lane closures will be required to ensure these works can be carried out safely.

We hope to reduce the duration of the lane closure by working additional weekends.

From 26 May 2021 , we will be carrying out enabling works at Breakspear Road South.

These works will help us to prepare the area for the temporary footpath diversion and the pedestrian bridge over the River Pinn. We will remove brambles and create a ditch to protect the area from potential flooding.

We wrote to you previously to advise you that we would be carrying out sewer investigation works from 6 to 11 May 2021. However, we will require two additional dates to complete these works, which will now take place on 25 and 26 May 2021 .

We have today announced the launch of ‘Florence’ – the first of 10 HS2 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnel on Phase One of the UK’s new high speed railway. ‘Florence’ was launched from our South Portal site next to the M25 in West Hyde, Hertfordshire, at an event attended by HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson .

Florence, at 170m-long – the largest ever used on a UK rail project – will dig 10 miles of tunnel under the Chilterns, operating 24/7 for the next three years. Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, Florence and her identical TBM 'Cecilia,' will dig separate tunnels for north and southbound trains. Each machine operates as a self-contained underground factory - digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place at a speed of around 15 metres a day. Each tunnel will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced segments – which will all be made on site.

Our dedicated education pages on the HS2 website have undergone a major redesign, with a collection of new resources to help teachers bring a careers context to curriculum learning with the aim of inspiring young people to take an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects and careers .

Teachers are able to find relevant resources much more easily through the introduction of a filter function, there are new resources available with supporting videos and also a workshop delivery guide with activities tailored to pupils ranging from the ages of 5 all the way up to 18.

We wrote to you previously to advise you that we would be carrying out works from 7 to 9 May 2021. We need to extend the lane closure from 9 to 14 May 2021 , in order to complete these works.

From 19 to 26 May 2021 , we will be carrying out drainage surveys on Greenford Road, Rockware Avenue and Lyon Way. The surveys are planned to take place during the day from 8am to 6pm. We will use a camera to investigate the condition of the drainage system and may need to flush the drains using a high-pressure water jet.

Temporary traffic management and parking bay suspensions will be in place.

From 17 to 21 May 2021 , we will be working along the Network Rail boundary to the south of the work compound. These works will take place at night when trains are not running.

We will be extending the metal fencing and replacing sections in order to secure the site.

On 17 May and 1 June 2021 , we will be carrying out ecological surveys along Newyears Green Lane.

A road closure is required between 8pm and 5am to ensure these works can be carried out safely.

From 17 May 2021 , we will be carrying out utility surveys and utility connection along Harvil Road as part of the road realignment works.

Temporary traffic management and lane closures will be required to ensure the works can be carried out safely.

We will work during off peak hours and out of hours where possible to minimise disruption.

We do not expect your service to be interrupted however the utility company concerned will provide pre-notification to affected households if an interruption becomes necessary.

Ambitious plans to create 127 hectares of new grasslands and woodlands around the southern portal of our Chilterns tunnel have been enabled by an innovative solution to reuse the waste chalk slurry generated during the tunnel’s construction .

Two giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will spend three years boring out 2.6 million cubic metres of chalk beneath the hills to create the new high speed rail network’s 10-mile long twin bore tunnel. The chalk cut away by the 170-metre long TBMs will be mixed with water before being pumped out as slurry back along the tunnel to its entrance.

Slurry from boring the tunnels will be processed on site at a construction base just inside the M25 motorway – avoiding the need to transport the waste off site for reprocessing elsewhere. Once out of the tunnel, the chalk and water slurry will be separated on site in a giant, purpose-built slurry treatment plant (pictured) where it will be pressed through ever-finer filters until all the water is removed to leave behind a dry chalky “cake”.

One of the key challenges the separation process faces is preventing the thickening slurry from clogging up the filtering machinery. Working with its supplier MS, which has delivered the slurry treatment plant, our civils contractor Align opted to use a polymer specifically developed to be effective with Chilterns chalk, which will enable the entire separation process to happen in around a week.

The chalk cake will be used to deliver the Colne Valley Western Slopes project - part of our Green Corridor programme to re-establish the locally distinctive chalk valley landscape and create the right growing conditions for calcareous grassland across the site.

The initiative will be a major contributor in helping us meet our carbon reduction targets by delivering significant ecological gain in the Colne Valley, reducing road haulage, and enabling habitats to sequester carbon by replacing arable land with natural habitats. Almost 65,000 trees and shrubs comprising 32 species will be planted together with nearly 3.5km of new hedgerows. Around 90 hectares of chalk grasslands will be created and areas of historic woodland reinstated.

Find out more about the Ruislip Branch Trunk Sewer diversion

We are holding an online engagement event on Thursday 13 May at 4:30pm to share our plans to divert the Ruislip Branch Trunk Sewer between Ruislip Golf Course and the Ickenham Green Allotments.

At this event you will be able to:

• learn about the plans to divert the sewer;

• hear from our team about what we are doing to reduce the impact of the work; and

• comment and ask questions.

Find out more about the Ruislip Branch Trunk Sewer diversion

We are holding an online engagement event on Thursday 13 May at 4:30pm to share our plans to divert the Ruislip Branch Trunk Sewer between Ruislip Golf Course and the Ickenham Green Allotments.

At this event you will be able to:

• learn about the plans to divert the sewer;

• hear from our team about what we are doing to reduce the impact of the work; and

• comment and ask questions.

The road crossing at Breakspear Road South will become operational for our site traffic from 10 May 2021 . The London Borough of Hillingdon has approved a speed limit reduction from 40mph to 30mph between Swakeleys Road and Breakspear Road, and to 20mph near the haul road crossing.

To ensure that this area is ready, we will be carrying out road and utility works along Breakspear Road South from 7 May 2021.

Our construction partner for the Chilterns Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct, Align joint venture, has taken an innovative step to reduce the use of single use plastic on its construction sites .

Analysis of Align’s purchasing data showed that the joint venture, which is made up of three companies, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick, was using over 100,000 pairs of disposable blue plastic overshoes in indoor areas at its construction sites every month.

Neil Hancox, Align’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director, who spotted the data trend collaborated with the company’s family-run supplier of construction consumables to come up with an innovative and more environmentally friendly solution. Within a matter of weeks, Crawley-based OnSite Support Ltd returned with a prototype shoe made from recycled Taslan.

Each pair of the newly designed overshoes contains recycled material from six plastic bottles. The product is also fully washable and has an anti-slip sole to offer better grip on slippery surfaces. The new shoes, which have been developed in three different sizes to meet the needs of male and female workers, are now in use across our Align construction sites. Within the first month, the shoe covers had proven effective in reducing littering as well as contributing to Align’s target to ensure that 70% of plastic is recycled or reused by the end of the project.

OnSite Support is among the latest innovation-led SMEs to join our supply chain. Over 2,000 companies have already won work on the project, 70% of which are SMEs and over 95% are based in the UK.

Update on Harvil Road Lane closures:

SCS Working in conjunction with other HS2 contractors in the area have optimised their programmes to ensure that disruption is minimised for local residents and the travelling public, this has resulted in some work that was scheduled to take place in April now taking place in Mid-May to allow for other works to be completed. The lane closures on Harvil Road relating to SCS works will be rescheduled. We will be update you as soon as the new dates have been confirmed.

We apologise for any confusion that has resulted from this.

From 6 to 11 May 2021 , we will be carrying out sewer system investigations along Station Approach and Long Drive. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

Your utility services will not be affected.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 26 April, 3pm to 5pm

• Wednesday 28 April, 5pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

• Works in your area

• Highways and traffic

• Noise and vibration

• Utility works

• Community engagement

• Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

Harvil Road Lane closure:

We wrote to you previously to advise you that we would be carrying out utility works from 19 to 30 April 2021. However, we have rearranged these dates and the works will now take place from 26 to 30 April 2021.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 26 April, 3pm to 5pm

• Wednesday 28 April, 5pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

• Works in your area

• Highways and traffic

• Noise and vibration

• Utility works

• Community engagement

• Other (please let us know if you have other queries)

Piling works:

We are planning to carry out piling works at our sites in Harvil Road and Breakspear Road South from 19 April to 31 July 2021. These works are needed to stabilise the ground while we build the over bridges at these locations. It is an effective approach to combating corrosion and is proven to significantly improve the life expectancy of a structure.

HS2 contractors Align JV will be carrying out temporary survey works on the M25 on both the clockwise and anticlockwise carriageways between Junction 16 (Denham Interchange) and Junction 17 (Maple Cross Interchange).

The survey work, which will be carried out in phases during the daytime and overnight, will last for about three weeks. Works will start on Monday 12 April and are planned until Monday 3 May 2021 . Details of the phasing, dates and carriageways affected are listed in the table overleaf. There will be lane closures in place on both carriageways from 9:30am to 4pm each day and overnight from 10pm to 5am whilst the surveys take place.

Advance warning signage will be put in place prior to the works taking place. Whilst disruption will be kept to a minimum, we would remind road users to plan their journeys and to be aware of the temporary closures of the hard shoulders and some of the lanes to allow the works to be carried out safely.

From 19 to 30 April 2021 , we will undertake ground investigation and surveys of the drainage system on Harvil Road from the junction of Skip Lane, down to our southernmost gates. We will need to close a lane in order to carry out these works safely.

Our contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS Railways), is launching a virtual enterprise academy for the second time and is looking for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to get involved .

The three-month programme has 150 free places available and will upskill businesses, giving SMEs the tools to work on projects like Britain's new high-speed railway.

Beginning in April, the Academy will run through until June, and the modules will cover topics including HR, health and safety, social value, carbon management innovation, the environment, risk management, finance and commercial awareness. To get involved, businesses need to have a turnover of £1 million for 2019/2020, a core business offering that aligns with the construction industry, and must demonstrate why they would like to take part in the Academy.

To date, we have already awarded around £18bn worth of contracts directly and a significant proportion of this value is expected to flow out to the wider supply chain. By the end of 2022, it’s estimated this figure will reach around £25bn. Over 2,000 businesses have already won work on the project, 70% of which are SMEs.

From 6 to 9 April 2021 , we will be carrying out sewer system investigations along the rail tracks south of Blenheim Crescent. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

We will investigate the condition of the sewer system using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage, we may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

To ensure the safety of operatives and rail users, these works will take place at night during a rail possession.

Your utility services will not be affected.

From the 13 April to 16 April 2021, we will be carrying out sewer system investigations along West End Road. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

We will investigate the condition of the sewer system using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. We may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet should we find a blockage in order to carry out the investigation.

Your utility services will not be affected.

From the week commencing 12 April 2021 , we will be carrying out works along Newyears Green Lane. These works will include:

• vegetation clearance, ecological surveys and hoarding installation. These activities will need to be carried out under a full road closure for safety reasons.

• utility surveys to investigate the condition of the culvert system, using a small CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. We may need to flush the system using a high-pressure water jet in the event of a blockage, in order to complete the investigation. This activity should be completed in one day if the weather permits. Temporary traffic management will be required to ensure these works can be carried out safely.

Access to the BFA Recycling Centre will be maintained throughout the works.

On Wednesday 7 April 2021 , we will be carrying out manhole investigations.

We will be investigating the condition of the manholes using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage we may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

Your utility services will not be affected.

From Tuesday 6 April to Thursday 8 April 2021, our surveying team will be visiting locations between Northolt and South Ruislip to carry out surveys on and near the railway tracks in this area.

The surveys will be carried out during a track possession while trains are not running between 1am to 5am. Our surveyors will use a tripod to measure angles and distance. Hand tools will be used to minimise noise.

From 6 April we will be carrying out utility surveys and utility connection along Harvil Road as part of the road realignment works. Temporary traffic management and lane closures will be required to ensure the works can be carried out safely.

We will work during off peak hours and out of hours where possible to minimise disruption. The service provider will provide advance notification if your utility services will be disrupted.

We wrote to you previously to advise you that we would be carrying out utility surveys from 15 to 17 March. However, we will now require additional time to complete these works. The extended period will be from 6 to 16 April 2021. We will be carrying out ground and sewer system investigation at Cedar Avenue and Great Central Avenue.

The ground investigation will involve the use of scanning equipment to identify the utilities in the area. We will be excavating trial holes to take measurements and ground samples. To investigate the condition of the sewer system and the manholes, we will be using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage we may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

Your utility services will not be affected.

On Tuesday 6 April, we will be carrying out sewer system investigations along Bridgwater Road. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area.

We will investigate the condition of the sewer system and the manholes using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage we may need to flush the drainage system using a high pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

The surveys will be carried out below street level, therefore temporary traffic management will be in place to ensure the surveys can be carried out safely.

Your utility services will not be affected.

This is an update to a previous notification sent in February 2021.

The previous notification stated that we needed a lane closure until the 19 March 2021. However, we will require additional time to complete these works. The work will be extended by one week and additionally we will require a night time full road closure on 29 March . This is to ensure that the installation of traffic barriers and bell mouth access can be carried out safely.

Preparations for the launch of our first giant tunnelling machines increased this week as the first of 112,000 wall segments for the Chiltern tunnel rolled off a purpose-built production line at the project’s tunnelling HQ close to the M25 .

The project’s first two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) - named Florence and Cecilia - are due to launch in early summer. Each of the 170-metre long, 2,000-tonne machines will spend more than three years underground, digging and slotting the wall segments into place to create the 10-mile long tunnels.

Made of high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete, the segments are being produced at a temporary pre-cast factory next to the TBM launch pads at what will be the south portal of the tunnels. This will avoid putting extra HGVs on local roads and ensure a steady supply of segments for the TBMs.

Construction of the Chiltern tunnel, and nearby Colne Valley Viaduct, is being led by our main works contractor, Align JV - a joint venture made up of three companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Work on the two structures will support around 1,200 jobs.

Once construction is complete, the pre-cast factory and the rest of the south portal site will be cleared, with the chalk excavated from the tunnels used to landscape the site and create high-quality chalk grassland and other wildlife habitats.

From 29 March 2021 we will be carrying out ground investigations at Stonefield Park and Bridgwater Fields.

This will help to inform our design decisions in the area. The ground investigation will use scanning equipment to identify existing utilities in the area. We will be excavating trial holes to take measurements and ground samples.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 22 March, 3pm to 5pm

• Wednesday 24 March, 5pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

Construction of the UK’s longest railway bridge began this week, with an expert team of ground engineers sinking the first of almost 300 piles that will form the foundations for the Colne Valley Viaduct .

The viaduct, which will carry the new high-speed rail line for 3.4km across a series of lakes and waterways on the north west outskirts of London, will be almost a kilometre longer than the Forth Rail Bridge and carry trains travelling at speeds of up to 200mph.

Set low in the landscape, the design was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans, some up to 80m long, carrying the railway around 10m above the surface of the lakes, River Colne and Grand Union Canal.

The structure will be supported by 56 piers, with the widest spans reserved for where the viaduct crosses the lakes, and narrower spans for the approaches. This design was chosen to enable views across the landscape, minimise the viaduct’s footprint on the lakes and help complement the natural surroundings.

Over the next year, engineers from HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor Align JV – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick – will construct 292 piles under the ground to support the viaduct piers.

On top of each group of piles – some of which will go up to 55m into the ground - a concrete pile cap will support the pier which will in turn support the full 6,000 tonne weight of the bridge structure above. Instead of hammering the piles into the ground, holes will be bored before being backfilled to create the pile. The main deck of the viaduct will be built in sections at a temporary factory nearby before being assembled from north to south.

Over the last six years, HS2 has worked closely with Affinity Water and the Environment Agency to monitor water quality and agree working methods. These will be monitored by a team of specialist engineers during construction in order to protect the natural environment.

An extensive programme of test piling has already been completed with engineers sinking 12 piles at two locations with geological and structural data from these tests fed back into the design of the viaduct. This has resulted in a 10-15% reduction in the depth of the piles and associated time and cost savings.

We have introduced a new, user-friendly interactive map to the HS2 website, making it easier and simpler for you to find out what current and upcoming works we are carrying out in your area .

An ambitious scheme designed by our landscape architects, ecologists, engineers and soil specialists, aims to reuse construction materials to create 127 hectares of new chalk grassland, woodland, wood pasture and wetland habitats that will substantially enhance the local natural environment.

Chiltern Tunnel South Portal Aerial View

The Colne Valley Western Slopes project will be a major contributor to help meet our carbon reduction targets by delivering significant ecological gains. It will also reduce the carbon footprint of the project by cutting road haulage and waste treatment activities and arable land will be replaced with natural habitats.

Plant species and habitats are being carefully selected to be resilient to a changing climate. Almost 65,000 trees and 32 species of shrubs will be planted, together with nearly 3.5km of new hedgerows. Around 90 hectares of calcareous grasslands, which once thrived on the valley slopes, will also be established and areas of historic woodland reinstated. The project, being designed and delivered by our civils contractor Align, will provide wider health and recreation benefits for neighbouring communities, including providing new connected green spaces and around 4.5km of new footpath, cycling and horse-riding routes.

We are holding virtual one to one sessions to learn more about HS2 works in Hillingdon and Northolt. HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session. The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

• Monday 22 March, 3pm to 5pm

• Wednesday 24 March, 5pm to 7pm

When registering, please specify your area of interest and postcode.

Topics available include:

We are undertaking topographical surveys along the course of the Ickenham Stream from The Greenway, (above the Thames Water sewer) down to the junction with Ickenham High Road.

This work is carried out by a small number of operatives and will take no more than a couple of days to complete. We are undertaking this work now to prevent having to cut back undergrowth later in the year.

Update notification:

We wrote to you in February to tell you about surveyor visits that would take place on 10 March and 24 March 2021.

We have rearranged these dates and the surveys will now take place on Saturday 13 March and Sunday 14 March 2021 . Our surveying team will be visiting locations between South Ruislip and West Ruislip to carry out surveys on and near the railway tracks.

Further to the previous update regarding the piling works ongoing at Harvil Road

Further to the previous updates provided earlier this year, you will be aware that our contractors SCS Railways have undertaken a number of trials and changed the methodology for the piling works being undertaken at Harvil Road. We wanted to provide you with an update regarding this work.

During the last few weeks, we have been able to progress with a number of piles using a combination of quieter methods. We are now concentrating on getting the piles that we were previously installing using the impact piling method earlier in the year driven to depth.

In conjunction with the local stakeholders and the Local Authority, we have agreed a program to continue with the remailing sheet piles in a carefully controlled way.

This will commence today, 3 March 2021 and you may notice some shorter periods of noisier works between certain hours. These times have been chosen to minimise the disruption to both local stakeholders and community.

These will be late morning, Lunchtime and late afternoon. We are aiming to have this work completed within the next two weeks.

During the week commencing 15 March 2021 , we will be carrying out works along Newyears Green Lane. These works are detailed below:

• vegetation clearance. This activity will need to be carried out under a road closure, between 8am and 6pm. At the end of each shift we will restore the area to its previous condition.

• utility surveys to investigate the condition of the culvert system, using a small CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. If a blockage is found, we may need to flush the system using a high-pressure water jet in order to complete the investigation. This activity will be completed in one day if the weather permits.

Due to the location of these works, temporary traffic management will be required to ensure the surveys can be carried out safely.

Access to the BFA Recycling Centre will be maintained throughout the works.

On Wednesday 10 March and Wednesday 24 March 2021 , our surveying team will be visiting locations between Northolt and South Ruislip to carry out surveys on and near the railway tracks. The surveys will be carried out during a track possession while trains are not running between 1am and 5am on the above dates.

We are delighted to announce that from today (Monday, February 22), applications are now open for residents across Phase One and Phase 2a of the HS2 route to become Local Community Representatives .

As part of the Construction Commissioner Steering Group (CCSG), you will represent your community, share and communicate a range of experiences and perspectives as Britain’s new high-speed railway is built, and also help to monitor the performance of the Independent Construction Commissioner (ICC).

We are seeking to recruit a number of Local Community Representatives to sit on the CCSG, which is independent of HS2 and the Department for Transport. The Group meets three to four times a year, in either Birmingham or London (when attending physical meetings) and also virtually.

For more details about these exciting opportunities and how to apply, please click on the links below. If you have any questions about the CCSG or about becoming a Local Community Representative, you can also contact: community@hs2.org.uk

Applications close on Friday, March 26, 2021 .

As part of the substation installation, we will have 2no. Electrical Voltage Transformers delivered to our site. These transformers will change the incoming voltage from 33kV down to 11kV so that we can eventually power the Tunnel Boring Machines at their required voltages.

Our transformers will be delivered at the weekend as they are coming directly from their delivery port, as they have been shipped from overseas. They are delivered through the night due to the load and will arrive at the West Ruislip portal in the morning in each instance. The works to install these transformers will be carried out across the following weekends:

Transformer 1 delivery: Saturday 13th March and Sunday 14th March

Transformer 2 delivery: Saturday 27th March and Sunday 28th March

At present, these dates are planned with our suppliers, however should there be any changes to the delivery due to freight passing the UK border we will update all residents and businesses accordingly.

Utility surveys at Breakspear Road South:

HS2 are pleased to confirm that we have completed our temporary highway works at Harvil Road ahead of schedule. As of 8pm yesterday, Thursday 18th February, the road closure of Harvil Road was lifted and the road returned to normal use.

We have introduced a new and innovative approach to tackling Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), saving money - an estimated £1.8m in the Colne Valley - time, and carbon output by minimising soil excavation and heavily reducing waste to landfill.

INNS are recognised as a major cause of biodiversity loss in the UK, and are unwelcome intruders in many areas. Non-native plants such as Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed and Rhododendron are becoming more common to our landscapes, to the detriment of native habitats. Working with AECOM, we have implemented an effective strategy which drastically reduces waste creation, only implementing offsite disposal of soil contaminated with INNS and their seeds if other solutions are not feasible.

Traditionally on infrastructure projects, all soil containing INNS plants, rhizomes and seeds would be removed from site, including excavation of a larger buffer zone, and disposed of according to current legislation for controlled waste. Instead, we are implementing measures focused on biosecurity and ‘surgical’ excavation, avoiding most of the costs and lorry movements associated with waste disposal, while assuring removal of the problem.

Our contractor Fusion JV worked with specialists in AECOM to manage a range of INNS, including the removal of significant areas of Japanese Knotweed in the Colne Valley area. Minimising excavation saves substantial time, cost and carbon footprint by heavily reducing waste to landfill, resulting in cost savings estimated at £1.8m. The site preparation works by Fusion JV for the 3.5km Colne Valley Viaduct involved extensive herbicide treatment followed by 4,700m3 of Japanese Knotweed-infested soil removal, all executed with strict biosecurity protocols within the Mid Colne Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Conventional excavation of the Japanese Knotweed would have required vastly more soil to be removed, including areas adjacent to waterbodies in the Colne Valley, which would have necessitated major temporary works and significantly more waste disposal and imported backfill. Through a more strategic approach involving avoidance, partial removal, selective re-use, and capping instead of simply transporting away soil potentially impacted by INNS material, the excavation requirements were less than 30% of original estimates.

AECOM uses an array of different methodologies focused on biosecurity, including soil protection, fencing and washdown stations, as well as in situ herbicide treatment. Alongside detailed specialist surveys and minimised excavations, this approach reduces environmental impacts and lorry loads of waste that would otherwise be transported away from site to landfill.

We are holding an online session to provide you with information on our construction activities planned for 2021 at the South Ruislip ventilation shaft site.

Further to the previous update regarding the piling works ongoing at Harvil Road

Towards the end of today 18 February 2021, there may be some short intervals of louder trials which should last no longer than 15-20 minutes while we test the effectiveness of some additional localised noise mitigation.

Once these trials have been undertaken and they have confirmed the noise levels for the revised methodology, we plan to resume our activities to continue the installation of the remaining piles which as stated previously will be considerably quieter than earlier in the year.

To reduce the number of HS2 lorries using local roads we are building an internal haul road between our construction sites, crossing Breakspear Road South. To build the crossing point we will need to close Breakspear Road South from 12-15 March 2021. Closing the road and working over a single weekend will reduce the impact on traffic flow in the area and will allow us to work safely.

We will remove the existing road surface in order to construct wider junctions. Additionally, we will compact the area and resurface the carriageway, which will include new line markings and repositioning of concrete traffic barriers.

Vegetation clearance:

We will be clearing vegetation at the end of the footpath to assist with further ground investigations in the area. This activity will need hand tools only to clear away brambles and ground foliage.

Chiltern Line works update:

We wrote to you recently about night time works near the Chiltern line. We have revised the dates for these works which will now take place from 15 February to 1 March 2021 and 1 April to 16 April 2021. These dates have been revised due to the piling methodology review being carried out in this area.

HS2 and their contractors would like to invite you to book an appointment for a virtual one-to-one session.

The sessions are a chance to learn more about works in the Hillingdon and Northolt areas.

The 15-minute appointments are available on:

This update is to remind you of the full road closure of Harvil Road between the 13th February to 21st February.

This road closure is required in order to undertake essential work to prepare for the temporary diversion of Harvil Road. These works will allow us to prepare for the new permanent alignment of the road over both the Chiltern and HS2 Rail lines. We only implement road closures when there is an absolute need for safety to both the public and our operatives.

The attached map outlines the location of our road closure on Harvil Road as well as the closed access point to the public right of way. A diversion route will be clearly marked for all vehicles to follow.

From 24 February 2021, we will be creating two small work sites next to Breakspear Road South and in the fields next to Ickenham Cricket Club grounds.

We will be working with Instalcom to redirect the overhead electricity cables in the HS2 work area. Instalcom Ltd (working on behalf of SSEN), will create these sites. From the first site, we will launch a small tunnel boring machine that will drill underground towards the east. It will travel underneath the River Pinn and emerge within the second site. The machine will then return along the tunnel that has been created, pulling electricity cables back to the first site.

Your electricity supply will not be affected.

Further to the update last week regarding the piling works ongoing at Harvil Road

Towards the end of today 8 February 2021, there may be some short intervals of louder trials which should last no longer than 15-20 minutes while we test the effectiveness of some additional localised noise mitigation.

Once these trials have been undertaken and they have confirmed the noise levels for the revised methodology, we plan to resume our activities to continue the installation of the remaining piles which as stated previously will be considerably quieter than earlier in the year.

Utility surveys at Bridgwater Road:

From 22 February 2021, we will be carrying out ground and sewer system investigation along Bridgwater Road.

This will help to inform our design decisions in the area. The ground investigation will involve the use of scanning equipment to identify the utilities in the area. We will be excavating trial holes to take measurements and ground samples.

Your utility services will not be affected.

Utility surveys:

From 15 February 2021, we will be carrying out ground and sewer system investigation at Cedar Avenue and Great Central Avenue. This will help to inform our design decisions in the area. The ground investigation will involve the use of scanning equipment to identify the utilities in the area. We will be excavating trial holes to take measurements and ground samples.

In order to investigate the condition of the sewer system and the manholes, we will be using a CCTV camera mounted on a small robot. Should we find a blockage we may need to flush the drainage system using a high-pressure water jet in order to carry out the investigation.

Your utility services will not be affected.

We have launched our brand-new jobs site to promote the estimated 20,000 roles that Phase One of the project is creating in the months and years ahead, the first time all opportunities to work directly on HS2 have been available to search in one place.

This follows the Prime Minister's announcement of the 22,000 job opportunities available on the high speed rail project, when officially starting construction in September 2020. The initiative has the backing of the Department for Work and Pensions and a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the agreed roles and responsibilities of HS2 Ltd and its job brokerage partners, is in place between the two organisations.

We will be carrying out an upgrade to the footpath that runs alongside the River Pinn, under the Chiltern Line rail bridge and then eastwards towards Hoylake Crescent.

To improve the current condition of the footpath we will scrape away the existing topsoil and level the ground. We will then place suitable material onto the path and roller to create a level surface.

The footpath will remain open, however, we will need to complete the work in stages, closing half of the footpath at a time.

Competing against 500 other nominees worldwide, HS2’s main works civils contractor Align JV and civil engineering company Roadbridge have won a Green Apple Environment Award in the Innovation category for their use of thermal camera drones to spot Skylark nests.

The Green Apple Awards are run by the Green Organisation – an independent international environment group that recognises, rewards and promotes environmental best practice around the world.

A thermal camera drone used for surveys

Align JV, responsible for delivering the section of the highspeed railway which includes the Chiltern Tunnel and the Colne Valley Viaduct, worked with its contractor Roadbridge, to introduce thermal camera drones to dramatically improve the accuracy of nesting birds’ surveys, helping to protect the species and enable faster and more effective results for ecologists working on the project.

As ground-nesting birds with well camouflaged nests, Skylarks are very difficult to survey. However, using a thermal camera, the drone can calibrate to the ground temperature and other objects to lock onto a heat source and identify the birds’ nests extremely accurately. This includes birds on the nest, eggs on the nest and birds sheltering on the ground.

At 12 metres above ground level the drone captures an area of approximately 9m2, which reduces search times and provides a clear perspective from a 90 degree view of the ground below. Exclusion zones are then put on Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings and into the Global Positioning System (GPS) of machinery working on site to let operators know when they are working near exclusion zones, to protect nests and allow works to progress safely.

Further to the note regarding the sheet piling at our worksite on Harvil Road last week, we are now in a position to resume the piling. Our contractors SCS have revised their methodology, which will reduce the noise impact as they undertake these exceptionally deep piles.

These sheet piles will allow us to build a new bridge structure which will eventually span both the existing Chiltern line and the new HS2 railway, and which will carry the realigned Harvil Road.

The majority of the trials due to take place today ( 27 January, 2021 ) are not expected to cause any disruption to the local area as we will carefully monitor them to ensure that the predicted noise levels are in line with what is actually being produced on site.

Towards the end of today there may be some short intervals of louder trials which should last no longer than 15-20 minutes while we test the effectiveness of some additional localised noise mitigation.

Once these trials have been undertaken and they have confirmed the noise levels for the revised methodology, we plan to resume our activities to continue the installation of the remaining piles which will be considerably quieter than earlier in the year.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the work carried out either side of Christmas and would like to reassure you that every effort is being taken to ensure that these are resumed in a way that minimises future disruption.

With many parents supporting children who are learning at home during the current time, we have developed a range of interesting curriculum-linked projects to work on at home. These include shorter activities ideal for families supporting younger children with learning at home and pre-planned lessons that secondary school teachers could set students as part of their curriculum learning.

Further update:

We would like to apologise for any disturbance caused as a result of our recent piling works at Harvil Road.

The installation of sheet piles at the Northern boundary of Harvil Road is needed to complete the realignment of the road later this year. The piling activity was noisier than we had anticipated due to the ground conditions encountered by the construction team once our works began.

As a result of the noise generated, and having assessed the findings from our noise monitors, we decided to temporarily pause these works. We have reviewed the methodology of the operation to try to minimise any further disruption.

Before we continue with these works, we will be trialling some new methodology which should allow us to recommence our piling works with far less noise being created. Yesterday's trial (Tuesday 19 January 2021) did not go ahead as planned due to weather conditions. We will be undertaking these trials this week subject to weather conditions for approximately two hours, utilising additional noise reduction measures to manage this impact.

We apologise in advance for any disturbance caused as we look to refine our working practices and would like to assure you that this activity will be continually monitored and assessed to ensure that we minimise any further disturbance wherever possible.

We need to construct a temporary highway to the side of the current Harvil Road to allow us to start work on realigning Harvil Road later this year as well as begin to build two bridges over the Chiltern and HS2 rail lines.

From 13 February 2021, we will start work to construct the tie-ins to the current highway. We will need to use construction vehicles in the highway, and to dig a trial hole. To do this safely we need to close the road fully.

Harvil Road will be fully closed 24 hours a day for the duration of the works.

From 26 January to 29 January 2021, we will be carrying out works along the rail track at South Ruislip Vent Shaft. We will investigate the the cabling work that runs along the boundary of our site and we install fencing to protect the rail tracks in the area. The work will take place at night during a rail possession for the safety of the operatives and rail users.

Our main works construction partner for the West Ruislip to London Euston section of Britain’s new high speed railway has launched two new careers-focused initiatives, helping people who have taken a career break back into employment .

We will be carrying out sheet piling works next to the Chiltern Line from the week commencing 25 January 2021. This work will help us to support the railway structure whilst we excavate for the construction of an overbridge as part of the Harvil Road realignment works.

Steel sheet piles will be installed in sequence along the planned perimeter and pressed into position using a piling rig.

Over 300,000 trees will be planted by our specialist ecology teams across the Phase One route during the winter months, taking the total number of trees planted between London and the Midlands to more than 730,000 by this spring .

We will carry out works along Harvil Road from 18 to 20 January 2021, we will investigate the condition of the drainage system using a small CCTV camera mounted on a small robot.

On 23 and 24 January 2021, we will complete the removal of an existing dilapidated hut and an excavator will be used for the removal. The work will take place at night for safety reasons.

Due to the location of these activities temporary traffic management will be in place. This is to ensure the surveys and the removal of the hut can be carried out safely.

We have recently published some new documents which may be of interest to you. This is part of our commitment to keeping you informed about HS2 progress and construction activities in your area.

We have published the fifth public report that documents our progress towards being a good neighbour by putting engagement with communities at the heart of everything we do.

This report covers the six-month period from January to June 2020, and draws on a number of case studies of activity during the first half of the year, along with currently available data such as from our Helpdesk, community funding awarded and the events we have held.

Our first two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) have arrived in the UK ahead of their launch early next year. The two 170m-long TBMs are the largest ever used on a UK rail project and will start to be assembled on site this week, ready to begin digging the 10-mile-long Chiltern tunnels.

TBM Florence during manufacture

The two enormous 2,000 tonne machines, named Florence and Cecilia, will now be reassembled, tested and commissioned at the on site by an expert team of tunnelling engineers, before they start work on the high speed rail project’s first tunnels. Built by Herrenknecht, a world leader in TBM manufacturing, at its factory in south-west Germany, the two machines were transported to the UK in more than 300 separate shipments over the course of two months.

Sections of the TBMs ready for assembly on site

The ‘twin bore’ Chiltern tunnel will be the longest on the project and the first to start construction, with the TBMs working underground 24/7 for more than three years. Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, the two identical TBMs will dig separate tunnels for north and southbound trains, with Florence set to launch first and Cecilia to follow a few weeks behind.

Each machine operates as a self-contained underground factory, which as well as digging the tunnel, will also line it with concrete wall segments and grout them into place as it moves forward at a speed of 15 metres a day. Each tunnel requires 56,000 segments which will all be made on site. A crew of 17 people will operate each TBM, working in shifts to keep the machines running 24/7. They will be supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation.

The TBM seals at the South Portal

These first TBMs will be operated by our main works contractor, Align – a joint venture of three international infrastructure companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Align expects to recruit 1,200 vacancies, with over 100 opportunities for apprentices. Recruitment and investment will be targeted at upskilling unemployed local people, particularly women, under 25s and those with disabilities.

The TBM names were suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon and The Chalfonts Community College, Buckinghamshire, which are close to the tunnel launch site. They were inspired by Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern medicine, and pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin. Around 4,500 people from across the UK took part in the poll to select the final names, with Florence taking 40% of the vote and Cecilia a close second with 32%.

Works at South Ruislip site compound:

From 15 December 2020 we are carrying out night works at South Ruislip Vent Shaft. We will carry out some investigations on the cabling that runs along the boundary of our site, between Ruislip Gardens and South Ruislip stations.

Affinity Water works Update:

Due to a machinery fault whilst drilling one of the water mains on Breakspear Road South, we had a malfunction of the pilot drill. This therefore, means that we will have to carry out unplanned weekend works in order to complete this activity. Works will take place on Saturday 28 November and Sunday 29 November 2020 from 09:00 to 18:00.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

During January 2020, we asked for views and ideas on some of the detailed aspects of three of our proposed Common Design Elements (CDEs): parapets, piers and lineside noise barriers.

We have now finished moving the pipe and have successfully carried out routine testing on the relocated pipeline. We’re currently reinstating our working areas on either side of Harvil Road to replace topsoil and vegetation that we had to remove to carry out the diversion. We expect that all Cadent work at this site will be completed by mid-December 2020.

This is an update on the previous notification issued on 14 September 2020. Due to delays in the works schedule, we will now be carrying out the planned utility survey works in the Bridgwater Road area from 7 to 11 December 2020.

We will be installing track monitoring sensors along the railway from West Ruislip to Harvil Road. This system will be in place to monitor settlement and twists in the railway tracks for the duration of the project. We will use hand held equipment for these works so noise will be minimal.

The latest in our series of insights featuring staff involved in building Britain's new high-speed railway highlights the works at the West Ruislip portal in Hillingdon.

Josh Venes, who works for our main works contractor SCS (Skanska Costain Strabag Joint Venture), focuses on the activities taking place at the site, explaining what has been done to prepare the location, which is the point at which trains from the Midlands will transfer underground as they head towards Old Oak Common and onto Euston station.

He describes the piling and concrete works which are still to come and also discusses the launch chamber which needs to be built in order to set the Tunnel Boring Machines on their way to bore a 10-mile section of the Northolt tunnels. Josh also talks about working for SCS and HS2 and the opportunities it's given him in his career.

Lane Closures:

We are building a crossing point for our internal haul road across Breakspear Road South to reduce the number of lorries using local roads. This will be located just to the north of the Chiltern Line Bridge and will be controlled by automated traffic signals.

We are connecting a temporary water supply from the water main in Breakspear Road South that will provide the water supply for construction activities and welfare units at West Ruislip.

We are creating two new site entrances and building crossing points for a haul road on the A412 near Denham Water SkiClub on Moorhall Road. This work is in preparation for the creation of a new haul road to support the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct.

In order to carry out this work we need to put in place a full road closure on the A412 road between 21:00 on 6th and 05:00 on 9th November

Utility surveys

We will carry out utility surveys on 16 and 17 November in two different locations, along Newyears Green Lane and on Breakspear Road South near Fine Bush Lane. The surveys will help us understand the condition and location of the utility services and help us decide how best to protect them while we are building HS2.

The surveys will take place:

- overnight on 16 November, at Newyears Green Lane

- during the day on 17 November, at Breakspear Road South

We will investigate the condition of the culvert system using a small CCTV camera mounted on a small robot.

Our HS2 Helpdesk team is available all day, every day to listen and help with any questions you may have about the project. This is a key part of our commitment to keep you informed while we build the new railway.

So if you want to find out more about where it's going, the opportunities available or any other changes it might bring to your area, you can contact our Helpdesk team on:

The contract to supply the first two giant tunnelling machines for our London tunnels has been awarded, marking significant progress on the southern stretch of HS2. The tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are being built by world-leading manufacturer Herrenknecht, and are designed and manufactured specifically for the London clay and chalk ground conditions they will bore through. They will be on site by the end of 2021.

The tunnelling programme between central London and the M25 will be carried out by our main works contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG JV. They will begin just outside Euston station and be underground until they emerge in West London at Old Oak Common station. The route will continue underground from Old Oak Common to the outskirts of West London.

These first two London TBMs will be launched from a portal at West Ruislip and will travel 5 miles east, creating the western section of the Northolt Tunnel. Once they arrive at Green Park Way in Greenford the machines will be brought to the surface and the site used as a vent shaft. The 8.4 mile tunnel will be completed with a 3.4 mile tunnel drive from Old Oak Common using another two new TBMs. A second tunnel between Euston and Old Oak Common will complete the remaining 4.5 miles of tunnelling between the two stations.

The tunnels will be twin-bored and 13 miles each way, and with a combined total of 26 miles, they will be the same length as Crossrail. Overall we will buy 10 TBMs in order to construct the 64 miles of tunnelling along the HS2 route between the West Midlands and London.

The first new TBMs will arrive by sea before being delivered to site at the end of 2021. Once assembled, they will enter service from mid-2022 and operate until the beginning of 2024.

Key facts about these giant machines :

Sheet piling works will begin at the West Ruislip site on 19 October. The works are expected to last three weeks.

Three Rivers District Council has granted planning permission for a new artist-designed landscaped play area for Maple Cross JMI school in Rickmansworth, bringing a request to HS2 from a local pupil to life.

The ambitious project to redesign the school’s grounds was initiated by a letter to HS2 from a child in Year Six at Maple Cross JMI, which asked that some of the material being excavated at the nearby South Portal construction site be brought to the school to “make a mound to roll down”.

After receiving the letter, HS2 developed a year-long programme of engagement between artist and designer Emily Cropton and the pupils, staff and wider community, in order to make the pupil’s wish come true.

The project involved educational workshops with school children in different year groups, in which they learnt about local history and the natural environment, and developed ideas for the design of their new play space.

Planning permission granted by Three Rivers District Council now means that HS2’s main works contractor Align will start the landscaping phase of the project by moving soil from its construction site 600 metres south of the school.

During the Autumn, Align’s local contractors will work with Emily Cropton to create the new play area which will include an orchard of fruit trees, a meadow of flowering plants, an area of scattered tree trunks for climbing, and a willow tunnel. There will also be a fossil wall built of clay bricks designed with the children, showing what might be found at Maple Cross in another two million years and the stories these fossils will pass on.

From 7 October we will be completing the ground strengthening works required to build the new rail bridge over Breakspear Road South. This activity involves the use of a rig placing stone columns into the earth to form part of the foundations. The use of stone rather than concrete into the earth significantly reduces the amount of spoil and the number of vehicle movements.

The equipment will be brought to the works area from the first of October, with the creation of the stone columns starting a week later.

Works Notice: Utility Surveys on Bridgwater Road, 28-30 September 2020

We are undertaking ground investigation surveys in the Colne Valley to give us more information about the type, strength and details of the land where the new railway will be built from mid-September 2020 to January 2021.

Before we build bridges, tunnels, tracks and stations, the largest archaeology programme ever undertaken in the UK is taking place along the line of route. Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites.

To share information about these works and some of the exciting finds uncovered we are running a series of online archaeology events to support Heritage Open Days 2020.

We're holding the following online events for Heritage Open Days 2020 (click on the events below to register):