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HS2 finishes deep-bore tunnelling on its London–Birmingham section

HS2 finishes deep-bore tunnelling on its London–Birmingham section

Built World

A breakthrough into the Old Oak Common station box closes the last tunnel gap, with passenger trains not due before 2036

3 days ago: All London–Birmingham deep-bore tunnelling declared complete

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

On 4 November 2026, tunnel miners broke through into the concrete box that will hold Old Oak Common station in west London. That closed the last deep-bore gap on HS2's London–Birmingham section, an 8.8-mile twin tunnel link running from the station out to the West Ruislip portal.

HS2 Ltd says all deep-bore tunnelling between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street is now finished. The railway is not close to opening: first trains are due between 2036 and 2039, and the estimated cost has risen to between £87.7 billion and £102.7 billion.

Why it matters

Passengers between Britain's two biggest cities will not ride an HS2 train before 2036, on a project now costed at up to £102.7 billion.

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Key Indicators

8.8 miles
Tunnel link completed
Twin tunnels from Old Oak Common station box to the West Ruislip portal.
100,000 t
Material excavated
Roughly the weight of 14,000 double-decker London buses, all sent to reuse projects.
28 miles
Total deep-bore tunnels, Curzon Street to Old Oak Common
All excavation on the opening section is now complete.
£87.7–102.7bn
Current cost estimate
In 2019 prices the range is £70.9–82.2 billion, against £35–45 billion when the budget was set.
2036–2039
Window for first passenger services
HS2 Ltd puts the earliest opening at May 2036; Mark Wild calls 2035 a moonshot.
80%
Major structures under construction or complete
HS2 Ltd's figure for the route as of late 2026.
45 min
Planned journey time, Old Oak Common to Curzon Street
About 140 miles at high speed, more than doubling peak-time seat capacity.

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People Involved

Mark Wild
Mark Wild
Chief executive, HS2 Ltd
Leading the programme reset due to be published in April 2027
LH
Lord Hendy
UK rail minister
In office

Organizations Involved

LT
HS2 Ltd
Government-owned company
Building the London–Birmingham high-speed line

The state-owned company delivering the UK's high-speed railway.
SC
SCS JV (Skanska Costain STRABAG)
Construction joint venture
Completed the London tunnels into Old Oak Common

The joint venture that mined the twin tunnels from the Victoria Road crossover box into the station box.
DT
Department for Transport
UK government department
Sponsor of HS2 Ltd

The government department that funds HS2 and sets its budget.

Timeline

April 2020 November 2026

6 events Latest: 3 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. All London–Birmingham deep-bore tunnelling declared complete

    Latest Milestone

    HS2 confirms the 8.8-mile London link is finished and no deep-bore excavation remains.

  2. Southbound breakthrough completes the link

    Construction

    Rail minister Lord Hendy visits as the second tunnel reaches the station.

  3. Northbound tunnel reaches the station box

    Construction

    The first of two tunnel drives breaks into Old Oak Common.

  4. Mark Wild takes over HS2 Ltd

    Appointment

    The new chief executive begins a two-year review of cost and schedule.

  5. Tunnelling begins in west London

    Construction

    Mining starts from HS2's Victoria Road crossover box site.

  6. HS2 sets its original price

    Contract

    Construction starts under a £40 billion, ten-year estimate with about 8% of design complete.

Scenarios

1

First HS2 trains run between Old Oak Common and Birmingham by October 2039

Possible Resolves by Oct 31, 2039

Discussed by: HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport

HS2 Ltd's published range puts first services between May 2036 and October 2039. Mark Wild calls 2036 the earliest achievable date and rules out 2035 or 2034. Hitting the outer edge depends on civil engineering finishing in 2029 and track laying starting in April 2030.

2

Reset baseline pushes the cost above £102.7 billion

Uncertain Resolves by Apr 30, 2027

Discussed by: HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport

The programme reset is due to be formalised in April 2027. Wild has already said civils will cost double the 2020 estimate, and the current published range tops out at £102.7 billion. A baseline with a higher ceiling would confirm the overrun is still growing rather than being contained.

3

Track laying starts on schedule in April 2030

Possible Resolves by Apr 30, 2030

Discussed by: HS2 Ltd

Wild has said track installation is scheduled for April 2030 and that he will not start it until civil engineers are off the route. He has also said a delay to track laying would push the project past 2036. This scenario tests whether the sequencing discipline he describes actually holds.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2009–2022

Crossrail, now the Elizabeth line (2009–2022)

London's east-west rail line opened in May 2022, nearly four years late and about £4 billion over budget. Its central tunnelled section was the largest civil engineering project in Europe at the time.

Then

The central section opened in stages, and the delay disrupted London transport planning for years.

Now

It became the reference case HS2's leadership cites for system integration risk.

Why this matters now

Mark Wild points to Crossrail's overruns when he rules out compressing HS2's testing and commissioning phase to bring opening forward.

April 2020

HS2's 2020 Notice to Proceed

HS2 Ltd told contractors to start work against a £40 billion, ten-year estimate, with as little as 8% of design complete on some sections. Construction began out of sequence, with some areas far ahead of others.

Then

Joint ventures built before designs were settled, creating rework and inefficiency.

Now

Wild's review attributed two-thirds of the cost increase to delivery and programme management, and a third to inflation.

Why this matters now

The tunnels finished in 2026 were dug under contracts signed in that period, and their cost sits inside the revised £87.7–102.7 billion range.

Sources

(8)
+2
World Construction Network HS2 Ltd Rail Magazine HS2 Ltd Skanska UK TheCivilEngineer.org The Railway Hub Concrete Connect