News about Caroline Herschel

Contractors also delivered the first of six machines that will dig the tunnels for London's new High Speed 2 (HS2) railway. On Thursday, the tunnel-boring machine (TBM), dubbed Sushila after local teacher Sushila Hirani, was activated near West Ruislip railway station. It is one of two TBMs that will dig a five-mile twin-bore tunnel to Greenford over the next 22 months. The two 2,050 tonnes machines will begin excavating the high-speed railway tunnels over the next two years to build five miles of the 8.4-mile Northolt Tunnel for HS2 trains. They will be dismantled and lifted from the ground as they reach their destination. A tunnel from Old Oak Common to Greenford will be dug, and two more will connect Old Oak Common with Euston, which is just south of London. Except for bank holidays, every TBM will be operated non-stop, except for 15 people who work in shifts.