HS2 tunnelling reaches Old Oak Common station

HS2 has reached a major milestone in west London. Tunnelling teams working south-east from Ruislip have broken through into the Old Oak Common station box, after excavating around 100,000 tonnes of material. MyLondon reports that the breakthrough came in early November 2026.

The work started at HS2's Victoria Road box site in May 2024. With this section finished, tunnelling is now complete on the first branch of the line, which is due to open between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street in 2037.

What happens next

Engineers are still tunnelling the final stretch between Old Oak Common and Euston, which will become the London terminus. The source report says this section is expected to be complete by mid-2027.

Once HS2 opens, journeys between London and Birmingham are expected to take around 45 minutes, and peak-time rail capacity between the two cities is expected to more than double.

A new west London transport hub

Old Oak Common will be served by HS2, the Elizabeth line and Great Western Railway, making it one of the best connected stations in the country. A nearby station at Old Oak Common Lane has also been proposed for the West London Orbital Overground line.

What the industry said

Rail Minister Lord Hendy called the breakthrough "a major milestone for HS2", saying it brings the country a step closer to a world-class transport hub at Old Oak Common. He added that HS2 will provide much-needed rail capacity, create space for more reliable services across the wider network and help unlock growth, homes and jobs in west London, the West Midlands and beyond.

HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild paid tribute to everyone who safely delivered the breakthrough. He said HS2 is in the final stages of a fundamental reset of the whole programme, with the aim of delivering the railway from Old Oak Common to Birmingham Curzon Street by 2037, or earlier, at the lowest reasonable cost. He also said the new station is set to boost the local economy by £10 billion over the next decade.

What this means for the rail sector

Projects on the scale of HS2 depend on a skilled, safe and competent workforce, from the teams building the railway today to the people who will operate and maintain it in future.

For information about RCG's independent apprenticeship assessment services, visit our apprenticeship assessment page or browse the standards we assess.

Photo: © HS2.