Dude, where’s my TBM? HS2 buries Tunnelling Machines until there’s money for Euston stop
It may be reminiscent of a Hollywood comedy, but HS2, Britain’s vast high-speed rail project, may have accidentally created the ultimate time capsules. In an amusing turn of events that could easily be the script of a mildly funny comedy, HS2 has seemingly taken a page out of the movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?” by burying not one, but two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at the Old Oak Common site, waiting until the buried plans of bringing HS2 to Euston are possibly unearthed in the future. The audacious act, initially raising eyebrows and drawing incredulous chuckles, is now being hailed as a monumental time capsule project, and quite possibly the most extensive ones the world has ever seen.
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Actually dismantling a TBM is always a possibility. Only the digging head is too wide. As I recall one of the Channel Tunnel TBMs was removed (probably continued forward without the digging head) and used to dig a sewage tunnel in East Sussex. The main question is whether it can be reused, otherwise you are paying for storage.
Yet another illustration what a white elephant HS2 is. Costs completely out of control. Taxpayers and their descendants will be paying the bill and most will derive little or no benefit. Meanwhile most commuters will pay exhorbitant fares for bad services. Another example of senior executives being handsomely rewarded for abject failure, unless that is milking the taxpayer is counted as success.
The person you want to blame is Mick lynch for poor time tables no trains especially on a bank holiday weekend etc plus the continued whining ,,,we aren’t getting enough money ,,, basically whole the rest of us put up with his withering about , pay , pension, and job security ,,, no one has a job secured for there life time Mick sorry ,,, I can’t get over to see my father who’s terminal due to cancer thanks to you ,,, great ,,, hope your sleeping well mate
Wrong station!