HS2 Ltd has today (Wednesday 14 October) announced a partnership with Bath University and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in a major study of the geology beneath the first phase of Britain’s new high speed railway between the West Midlands and London.

HS2 has today (15th October) signed up to The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code of Practice, which is designed to make engineering careers accessible for this and the next generation of young people.

On 9th October the contract for the first two giant tunnelling machines for London’s HS2 tunnels has been signed with HS2's Main Works Civils Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG JV (SCS JV), marking significant progress on the southern stretch of HS2.

HS2 today awarded a major contract to design and manufacture the modular track system for the UK’s new high speed railway, to a partnership which includes PORR UK Ltd and Aggregate Industries UK.

HS2 today awarded a major contract to Bolton-based Booth Industries to provide high-pressure safety doors for the internal passages linking the high speed rail project’s tunnels.

In a major step towards greener construction sites, HS2 has trialled solar and hydrogen powered welfare cabins across its work locations run by enabling and main works civils joint ventures CSjv (Costain, Skanska) and SCSjv (Skanska Costain STRABAG) including Camden, West Ruislip and Uxbridge.

As part of its ambition to build the most sustainable high speed railway in the world, HS2 contractors in London have begun using a new low carbon concrete product which provides a reduction of 42% in CO2 in comparison to a standard concrete.

HS2 has passed another major milestone at the high speed rail project’s first tunnel site, with the completion of structural work on the temporary pre-cast factory which will produce wall sections for the 10 mile long Chiltern tunnels.

As part of HS2’s plans to reduce its carbon footprint, a new carbon and cost estimating solution powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being trialled on a number of HS2 sites managed by the Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture.

The planning application for the station and the surrounding landscape and public realm, along with the Automated People Mover, were approved by the Council, with the planner’s report saying the design creates “an exciting contextual response to its setting”.