Dorothy makes HS2 tunnelling breakthrough

Named after Dorothy Hodgkin, the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, the TBM completed its one-mile dig under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire.

The 125m long TBM started its journey at the tunnel’s North Portal in December 2021 and broke through the wall of the reception box at the South Portal site on Friday 22 July. Over the course of seven months Dorothy and her crew installed 790 concrete rings, each made from eight two-metre-long segments.

In a statement, HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston said: “This is a historic moment for the HS2 project, and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in delivering it. The 400-strong team, including tunnelling engineers, TBM operators and the construction workers at both portal sites, have pulled out all the stops to achieve this fantastic milestone.

“This milestone demonstrates the significant momentum behind Britain’s new zero-carbon railway, creating thousands of jobs and apprenticeships, along with hundreds of opportunities for businesses right across the country, helping fuel our economic recovery.”