Full steam ahead for HS2 with £1.6bn construction phase set into motion

It has been announced today that the next billion pound phase of the HS2 project has been set into motion.

The government has today issued HS2 a notice to proceed to deliver the C1 package, which marks the construction of the first rail routes.

The package, which was awarded to Align, is worth £1.6bn and sits within the first phase of the project.

Align is a joint venture of three international and privately-owned infrastructure companies, Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, a subsidiary of VolkerWessels UK, and its design partners Jacobs Engineering and Ingérop-Rendel.

The C1 route starts approximately 20km to the west of central London and runs across the Colne Valley and then through the Chiltern Hills to the north west.

It consists of 21.6km of high speed rail infrastructure that includes what will become a 3.37km viaduct across the Colne Valley and a 16.04km twin-bored tunnel with five ventilation shafts.

When the project was confirmed by the government earlier this year, some organisations such as Greenpeace expressed concerns over the potential environmental and economic impact of HS2.

Jean-Pierre Margolin, executive director at Bouygues Travaux Publics and an Align board director, commented: “I am delighted with how the Align team has come together to develop the design and planning in close coordination with all stakeholders involved for what will be an iconic element of HS2.

“Each company involved in the Align JV is proud to be playing its part in delivering Europe’s largest infrastructure project.”

Daniel Altier, Align project director, added: “This is a complex project however we have delivered some unique innovations to address the engineering challenges relating to both design and planned construction of the tunnel, the tunnel shafts and the viaduct.

“It’s both rewarding and exciting to get the construction element of the project underway.”