A 2.7km-long network of conveyors has begun operating in west London as part of the HS2 high speed rail line project
HS2’s contractors, the Balfour Beatty/Vinci Systra joint venture (BBVS JV) and the Skanska Costain/Strabag joint venture (SCS JV), have collaborated to construct a network of conveyors that will move over five million tonnes of spoil.
The conveyor network has three spurs, serving the Old Oak Common station site, the Victoria Road Crossover box site and the Atlas Road site. At Old Oak Common, HS2 Ltd’s station contractor BBVS JV will use the conveyor to remove the 1.5 million tonnes of spoil that is being excavated for the station box – the subsurface structure in which the HS2 platforms will be constructed.
“The launch of our conveyor system in west London is yet another important progress milestone for HS2 Ltd,” HS2 Ltd’s stations client director Lee Holmes says.
“This impressive network of conveyors means we are able to significantly reduce the impact of construction on the local area. Momentum on HS2 continues to build as the project nears peak construction, and systems like these conveyors are just one of the ways we are working to reduce carbon emissions in construction.”
The spur that serves the Victoria Road Crossover Box site will be used by SCS JV and will transport spoil excavated for the crossover box. In addition, the spoil excavated in the construction of the Northolt Tunnel East when two tunnel boring machines are launched from the site in late 2023 will also be transported to the Logistics Hub via the conveyor.
The final spur runs from a site on Atlas Road and will be used to remove spoil from the excavation of a logistics tunnel running from Atlas Road to Old Oak Common. The conveyor will then be extended through the logistics tunnel and will remove material from excavation of the Euston tunnel, further reducing the impact on the local road network.
From Old Oak Common, the conveyor runs at 2.1 metres per second, and the journey to the HS2 Logistics Hub at the Willesden Euro Terminal takes 17.5 minutes. The conveyor system includes sound barriers and a cover to prevent noise and limit dust dispersal.
“As we work to deliver Britain’s new, high-speed railway, we are continually seeking new ways to reduce the carbon emissions associated with our operations,” BBVS JV project director Nigel Russell says.
“The conveyor belt is a key example of how we are doing just that; collaborating with our partners to put in place new, innovative solutions which not only reduce our emissions, but also reduce disruption for the travelling public and local community.”
From the Logistics hub, the spoil will be taken by rail to three destinations across the UK where it will put to beneficial reuse, filling voids that will then be used as a basis for redevelopment, such as house building projects.