Episode Six, How to build a Railway: Going underground

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

The latest instalment of HS2’s podcast delves into the fascinating world of tunnelling.  As Phase One of the railway winds its way from Birmingham to London, it passes through an ever-changing landscape. Shaped by towns, cities and countryside, HS2 has been designed to minimise the impact on communities and the environment.

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Going underground’, explores one the most powerful tools in the project’s arsenal as we go underground to meet those who are calving the 64 miles of tunnels on the first phase of the project.

Featuring:

  • Martin Herrenknecht, Herrenknecht CEO
  • Anders Danielsson, Skanska President and Global CEO
  • Martyn Noak, HS2 Head of Tunnel Engineering
  • Eddie Woods, HS2 Civil Engineering Support
  • Daniel Worsley, SCS TBM Tunnelling Manager
  • Michael Greiner, SCS Lead tunnel Manager

The episode kicks off with Martin Herrenknecht, CEO of world leading TBM manufacturer Herrenknecht. Martin shares an interesting career journey and how HS2 stacks up against other major projects.

We also hear from HS2’s own Martyn Noak, Head of Tunnel Engineering, and Eddie Woods, Civil Engineering Support, about the unique challenges of tunnelling under motorways, rivers and the Euston throat – already having the largest underground spaces created for transportation in Britain.

The episode also features tunnelling experts from main works contractor SCS, Daniel Worsley and Michael Greiner, as well as Anders Danielsson, Skanska President and Global CEO, who describes some of the key takeaways the HS2 project has already given to the industry worldwide.

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