Two short but spectacular HS2 tunnels offer glimmer of hope for stalling project

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondentJanuary 19, 2026 at 01:01 AM

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long article 5 min

HS2's Chiltern tunnels, two 10-mile structures built to preserve the landscape, stand as a successful segment of the controversial high-speed railway project. Completed last year after 33 months of continuous work by Align JV, the tunnels avoided disruption in Conservative areas and represent what the entire project could have been. The construction involved 1,800 workers, two tunneling machines, and a concrete production plant that also supported the nearby Colne Valley viaduct. Despite overall project delays and cost increases, the completion of the tunnels and ventilation shafts demonstrates the potential for efficient infrastructure development. Mark Clapp, HS2 Ltd’s head of civil engineering for the tunnel, praised the team for delivering the project on schedule.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Euston 30% Midlands 40% Germany 40% McAlpine 50% VolkerFitzpatrick 50% Bouygues 50% London 50% Mark Clapp 60% Chilterns 60% Colne Valley ×260% Align JV 70% HS2 ×890%

Keywords

hs2 100% tunnels 90% infrastructure project 70% construction delays 60% civil engineering 60% colne valley viaduct 50% high-speed railway 50% tunnelling machines 40% ventilation shaft 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Chilterns

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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hs2 tunnels infrastructure project construction delays civil engineering colne valley viaduct high-speed railway tunnelling machines ventilation shaft

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