HS2 has started its drive in to the heart of London with the first of two tunnel boring machines building the route to Euston having begun its 4.5-mile journey from Old Oak Common.

The Euston Tunnel is the fifth and final deep twin-bore tunnel on the 140-mile HS2 route between central London and Birmingham. It will bring HS2 into Euston which is critical for the regeneration of the area, with the potential to contribute £41bn to the UK economy.

Rail minister, Lord Peter Hendy, and chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, turned on the 1,624-tonne machine at HS2’s Old Oak Common station in west London yesterday (27 January)  – starting the journey under the capital to Euston.

The tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch comes as HS2 is at an advanced stage of a comprehensive reset – putting the programme’s construction in the right sequence and bringing certainty to the railway’s final costs and opening dates.

The reset, led by HS2 chief executive Mark Wild, is crucial to putting HS2 back on track and unlocking the project’s transformational benefits – vital new rail capacity and economic growth.

When complete, the railway will open in stages, with the first services running between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. HS2 will open all the way to Euston at a later date, which will be vital to delivering the full capacity and economic benefits that the railway offers.

Mark Wild said: “On my first day at HS2, I unveiled the Euston TBMs as they were being prepared to build the Euston Tunnel. Just over a year on, we’re beginning to excavate the tunnel - a show of confidence that HS2 will be built into central London and kickstart economic growth.

“Over the past 12months, I have been leading a comprehensive reset across HS2 to get it back on track and I am confident that we’re on the right path to delivering HS2 safely and efficiently. The start of tunnelling here today is a part of the strong foundations we can build upon to completing HS2 and deliver better journeys for rail passengers.”

The delivery of the new HS2 station at Euston will be led by a new Euston Delivery Company. Once established, the company will lead delivery of an affordable and integrated transport hub - including the new HS2 station, the redevelopment of the existing station, and upgrades to the London Underground station - along with commercial development across the Euston campus.

The TBM was manufactured by Herrenknecht AG in Germany and shipped over to the UK in 2024 before being carefully lifted into and reassembled in the giant underground station box at Old Oak Common. Engineers from HS2’s London tunnels contactor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), have been working to prepare the machines for their tunnelling mission over the last 12 months.

The TBM is an underground factory – working 24/7 to excavate, install the concrete ring segments that form the walls, and grout them into place as it moves forward at an average speed of around 16 metres per day.