HS2

HS2 Ltd has launched a £600m framework designed to put the finishing touches on the London-to-Birmingham high-speed rail project. The £600m framework will give HS2 “flexibility and options towards the end of the [build] programme” so that it can finish work on the line, a source close to the programme…

Ducking out of big infrastructure decisions in the next year could leave the UK’s regional growth plans “in jeopardy”, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has warned. The commission said the “window is closing” to narrow the gap between the UK and other nations around regional connectivity, in its latest annual…

The government is set to unlock construction of the rail tunnel to HS2’s Euston station by providing taxpayer cash upfront and trying to recoup money from businesses and passengers later, according to reports. The 4.5 mile tunnel is set to get the go-ahead in coming weeks, with more than £1bn…

Two megaprojects have signed agreements with trade unions. After a two-year campaign, the Unite union has secured access to HS2’s Old Oak Common railway station site, which is run by a Balfour Beatty/Vinci/Systra joint venture known as BBVS JV. Meanwhile, Sizewell C announced it had signed agreements to provide “best-in-class”…

The government has paid more than £1m to buy properties on HS2’s northern leg since scrapping the route, it has emerged. The Observer newspaper revealed on Sunday that three property purchases have been made since prime minister Rishi Sunak announced last October that phase 2a of the megaproject will not…

HS2 is still unclear about the costs of decommission its enabling works on the route’s cancelled phase 2a, six months after the government pulled the project. The rail body will decommission all of the enabling works it did north of Birmingham, after prime minister Rishi Sunak cancelled the leg in…

HS2 has launched the last of four tunnel boring machines (TBM) to build the Northolt Tunnel. The TBM, called Anne, will bore 3.4 miles from Ealing’s Victoria Road to Greenpark Way in Greenford. It joins TBM Emily which was launched back in February. TBM Anne is the final of four…

The Balfour Beatty Vinci joint venture (JV) working on HS2 has announced the launch of a women’s only training course to mark International Women’s Day. The course, called Introduction to Construction, is designed to equip women with the skills and accreditation they need to start a new career in the…

Lendlease will work up new plans for development around London's Euston Station, the government confirmed in today’s Spring Budget, amid a growing rift over the shape of the scheme. The contractor was appointed as master developer for the site in 2018, but uncertainty over its role emerged after the government…

Camden Council has proposed it leads a development corporation delivering HS2’s Euston terminus and surrounding area. Research commissioned by the council estimates that development adjacent to and above a reduced Euston station could add £41bn to the economy by 2053, creating 34,000 jobs – including 1,300 construction apprenticeships. Camden Council’s…