HS2 and the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture (SCS JV) have officially marked the start of operations at the logistics hub on the former Willesden Euroterminal site.
The 30-acre site is described as the ‘beating heart of the logistics operation’ for HS2 in London, and is the largest site for the SCS JV which is the contractor for the 26km of route from Euston to West Ruislip. The joint venture will be responsible for boring three twin-bore tunnels on this stretch, as well as interfacing with the stations at Euston and Old Oak Common and their respective contractors.
The first tunnelling will start in spring 2022 from West Ruislip, covering the 8km to Greenpark Way. A second pair of Tunnel Boring Machines will launch in 2023 from the Victoria Road crossover box, just west of Old Oak Common station, to meet the first pair at Greenpark Way. A third pair will start tunnelling in early 2024 heading east from Old Oak Common towards Euston.
The logistics hub is a major rail freight location, and at its peak six trains per day of spoil from tunnelling activities will be taken away from the site by rail. The first trains, operated by GB Railfreight, began at the end of June are running to Barrington in Cambridgeshire, with a second…