The work, a major milestone for the project, will help pave the way for the arrival of the specialist tunnelling teams on site next year.

At Euston, HS2 will deliver 11 new platforms in two phases. This will more than double capacity at the station, as well as providing a new concourse and expanded Underground station, linked for the first time, to the nearby Euston Square tube station.

Twin 13 mile (21 kilometre) long tunnels, the biggest tunnelling project since Crossrail, will take the 360 km/h trains out of London via a new station at Old Oak Common linked to Crossrail. At the southern end, a tunnel portal will be built on the site of the carriage sheds, just south of Mornington Street Bridge.

The demolition, which took 9 months to complete was managed by HS2’s London enabling works contractor, CSJV working with demolitions contractor Keltbray. Up to 70 people were employed on site during the painstaking demolition of the sheds, which are adjacent to the west coast mainline.

Timelapse of HS2’s Euston tunnel portal site clearance

Specialist teams used drones to survey the inside of the Victorian structure, before taking the fragile roof structure apart. In total, more than 7,000 glazing panels had to be removed from the 250 metre long building. The team then used a cranes to remove the 27 huge 50 metre long steel trusses which supported the ceiling.

Out of use since 2004, the sheds were built to house carriages and later used for Royal Mail trains. Surplus track, switches and points removed from the sheds have been donated to the Bluebell railway, a heritage line in Sussex.

Welcoming the progress, HS2’s London Programme Director, Rob Carr, said:

The demolition of the old carriage sheds marks an important step forward for the project, clearing the way for the start of construction works next year, and the delivery of one of the most exciting new stations on the HS2 route. I’d like to congratulate the team on a job well done and look forward to moving ahead to the next stage of the project.

Peter Jones, CSJV Programme Director, said:

The CSJV team, consisting of people employed from the local area and other experienced professionals, alongside Keltbray have worked carefully and efficiently to ensure that this structure has been demolished safely. It marks a great milestone in the construction of HS2 and shows the fantastic progress that we are making in Euston and across Area South.

Empowering and inspiring jobs building Britain’s new high-speed railway are providing incredible opportunities for young people of all backgrounds, HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani said yesterday (3 October 2018).

The minister met brand new students enrolling at the National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) in Birmingham, as well as those entering their second year of study, to hear how they were gaining the vital skills that will unlock brilliant careers working on HS2.

HS2 will connect Birmingham to London before branching out to connect the great cities of the north, including Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield – dramatically boosting capacity and connectivity on our rail network.

HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

The enthusiasm and ambition that this diverse group of students share is truly infectious, and they demonstrate the bright future that HS2 is offering young people – no matter their gender, ethnicity or background.

HS2 is quite simply more than a railway – it is an incredible opportunity to forge a well-paid, highly skilled and rewarding career. With 2000 apprentices expected to play their part in construction, these students are inspiring role models that can help build the talented workforce we need for the future.

Student Mariah Ahmed, 18, said:

Thanks to the National College for High Speed Rail I’m part of real engineering linked to our community and the biggest infrastructure project of my time, and all at such a young age.

Student Darren Chikono, 19, said:

The NCHSR has provided me with transferrable skills, which I can apply in industry. Being able to take on information from many industry leaders has proved to be crucial.

The visit follows the launch of HS2’s Skills Employment and Education Strategy, which is focused on encouraging more young people into transport-related careers and ensuring the project leaves a skills legacy for the UK economy. Over 100 apprentices are already working on HS2, with 30,000 new jobs to be supported during construction.

Throughout the Year of Engineering the government is joining forces with 1,400 partners, including the National College for High Speed Rail, to give young people across the UK a million direct and inspiring experience of engineering.

The industry needs 203,000 skilled recruits every year to 2024, and of those working in engineering only 12% are women and only 8% come from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

A parcel was detained and subsequently seized at the Border Force, East Midlands Airport, Castle Donnington, Derby. This parcel was addressed to a residential premise in the UK and contained;

• 1 DMG injection
• 1 MSM injection
• 32 ITPP Paste

These products intended for use in horses are not authorised products in the UK.

The medicines were seized under Regulation 25 (Importation of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.

Published 4 October 2018
Last updated 4 October 2018