HS2 Ltd have launched a competition for local residents and schools to help find a name for the tunnel boring machine that will start excavating under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire this summer.
North Leamington School, Warwickshire College Group, The Coleshill School and Long Itchington Scout Group have already signed up to take part, and will also benefit from a new skills programme aimed at introducing young people to careers in engineering, through virtual education sessions run by HS2 Ltd and HS2’s contractor BBV Joint Venture (Balfour Beatty Group and VINCI Construction).
Following tradition, tunnel boring machines are always named after women, and HS2 is asking people in the county to help choose a name based on their female role models – whether famous people or unsung heroines. Suggestions will be shortlisted in May and three finalists put to a national public vote, before a winner is announced in the summer.
The 2,000 tonne tunnel boring machine will be operated by BBV and will create a one-mile twin bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood. It will take five months to dig the first bore of the tunnel, and then it will be extracted at the south portal before being transported by road back to the north portal to commence the second bore.
The tunnel will preserve the ancient woodland in this location, and the final section will form a ‘green tunnel’ - also known as a cut and cover tunnel - where a roof above will return the land to the natural landscape. Around 170 engineers are working on the TBM during its construction and assembly, and a team will then work around the clock excavating the one-mile tunnel. This TBM, along with those soon to start digging under the Chilterns and, a little later in the year, underneath London, is a key element of HS2’s role in the Government’s commitment to Build Back Better.
Cllr Jeff Clarke, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Planning, said:
“This initiative from HS2 is a great way to engage and involve the engineers of the future in this landmark project. It is fitting that Warwickshire has been given the opportunity to help name the machine and honour someone past or present on behalf of the county.
“One of our suggestions for the shortlist is the novelist George Eliot, a famous daughter of the county whose life and works have inspired so many people. George is from Nuneaton and we believe this helps to symbolise that all of Warwickshire - not just the places directly impacted by HS2 - can get some benefit from the construction of the railway, whether that is through employment or as part of the supply chain.
“We hope this competition will encourage young people across the county to take a greater interest in the project.”
HS2’s Construction Director David Bennett said:
“We’re excited to be launching the hunt for a name for the Long Itchington Wood tunnel boring machine and encourage local people to get involved in this impressive feat of engineering, which represents a key milestone for the project in the Midlands. It’s great that local schools will be taking part, and through our skills programme young people will also have the opportunity to learn more about careers in engineering.
“They will also learn about our environmental programme which forms a key part of our work in Warwickshire, with the tunnel designed to preserve the ancient woodland, and material from the tunnel being recycled and re-used. We’ve already planted 80,000 trees in the Midlands, with an additional 47,000 planted this winter in Warwickshire as part of our green corridor programme that will deliver new woodlands, wildlife habitats and green spaces for people to enjoy.”
This is the third HS2 tunnel boring machine to be named by public vote. The first two machines, which are due to start creating the tunnel under the Chilterns, were named after famous local Buckinghamshire women: Florence Nightingale - the founder of modern nursing who spent many years living in Buckinghamshire; and pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who was born in Buckinghamshire.
HS2 has launched an online portal for Warwickshire residents to submit their chosen names. They are encouraged to choose people who have an association with Warwickshire and may include, for example, actresses, artists, scientists, engineers, authors, athletes and musicians. Names may also include the unsung heroines of Warwickshire, including individuals who deserve recognition for their contributions to the local community.
The competition portal will remain open until the end of April, and a final shortlist of nominations will be selected and put to a public vote in May. The winner will be revealed during the launch of the Long Itchington Wood tunnel boring machine this summer.
People can submit names on the online competition portal here: https://www.hs2.org.uk/long-itchington-tunnel/