HS2

Phase 2a of HS2, the stretch of the project between the West Midlands and Crewe in Cheshire, has been approved by parliament. According to HS2, Royal Assent for this phase of the scheme means the 58km route will be built earlier than originally planned, and its opening can now be…

An anti-HS2 protester has locked himself to a concrete block at the bottom of a tunnel in a bid to avoid eviction, according to his supporters. Bailiffs working on behalf of HS2 have been trying to evict the group from Euston Square Gardens in front of Euston Station – the…

HS2 chair Allan Cook has announced his resignation. The former chair of Atkins joined the project in December 2018, but announced in a letter to HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson last night that he will not seek “a second term” in the role, and will leave the project in July. Cook…

Highways England has said it will create 22,000 jobs during construction of its proposed Lower Thames Crossing scheme. The £6.8bn new tunnel from Essex to Kent will contain 23km of new road. It was originally due to be completed in 2027 or 2028 but, in October last year, Highways England…

Protesters camping near Euston Station have dug tunnels in a bid to avoid eviction from their camp site. The group, called HS2 Rebellion, claims its “tunnel network” is 30 metres long and took them two months to dig. They have called it their “best defence” against being evicted from the…

Laing O’Rourke has called for industry coordination of rapid coronavirus testing, after the health secretary talked up the prospect of widespread checks on those who have to attend workplaces. On Sunday, Matt Hancock called on local authorities to target extra testing at people who cannot work from home during the…

HS2 workers will have their biometric data stored in a central database, enabling them access to multiple sites if required. The £80bn rail line claims its digital ‘Health and Safety Passport System’ (HSPS) will be the first ever UK project-wide workforce management tool that enables staff to move across different…

Cancelling HS2 because of the coronavirus pandemic would chill the construction industry, a minister has warned. HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson told a transport committee hearing today that cancellation of the megaproject would cause tens of thousands of jobs to be lost, as well as taxpayer money. He was asked by…

A petition calling for an immediate halt to construction on HS2, launched by environmental campaigner Chris Packham, has passed the 10,000-signatures mark required to trigger a government response. At the time of writing, the petition remained well short of the 100,000 signatures required for a parliamentary debate, but was the…

Five Balfour Beatty joint ventures have been shortlisted on four lots of HS2 track systems contracts, as well as a tunnel and line-side M&E systems contract, worth a combined total of £2.5bn. Firms selected for the contracts will deliver around 280km of infrastructure on the megaproject, between London, Birmingham and…