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In pictures | HS2 lifts 880t tunnel boring machine after 5km journey

A giant boring tunnel machine being lifted from a shaft — TBM Emily (Image: HS2)

Photos released by HS2 show how contractors lifted a giant tunnel boring machine (TBM) using a gantry on Saturday (26 July) following the completion of its 5.5km journey across west London.

A giant boring tunnel machine being lifted from a shaft using a gantry crane — The TBM was lifted using a gantry crane (Image: HS2)

The 880-tonne TBM with a 9.11m diameter cutterhead excavated 775,000 tonnes of London Clay and installed 17,514 concrete tunnel segments from Victoria Road in Ealing before arriving at an underground reception chamber in Greenford.

A giant boring tunnel machine and a construction worker in high-vis equipment and a hard hat — The machine weighs 880 tonnes TBM and has a 9.11m diameter cutterhead (Image: HS2)

TBM Emily is one of four machines used to construct part of the Northolt Tunnel, which is being built by joint venture between Costain, Skanska and Strabag.

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