HS2 Review - Part 4 | Chiltern Tunnel North Portal 2022-2024

#drone #hs2 #railway
This is the fourth in a series of videos where I look back at all the footage I've shot showing the construction of HS2 in the area around Aylesbury. In this video we see the site change from a deep cutting through chalk into something resembling a railway (almost!).

[@DaveFiggley]

Yes, the fresh blue 'cutting head' 'appearing' from the portal after 33 months underground was hilarious. And it wasn't even April 1st. I, for one, appreciate all the time you've spent documenting this part of the project, Karl. I'm not a droner myself but enjoy watching all the footage from the comfort of my laptop.

[@KarlVaughan]

I made a bit of a fool of myself when I saw that first 'breakthrough'. I thought about it later on after the video was posted and realised I was wrong. Never mind, it all came good in the end. As for that particular section, I may not be able to continue documenting it as there is a flight restriction applied to that area between South Heath and Stoke Mandeville. I'm currently in the process of finding out what I can and can't do. Watch this space!

[@21michaelhill]

What a good idea doing a review covering the past two years to see how much progress has actually been made in one area. It seems this particular spot is a show location as I have not seen so much landscaping carried out any where else on the railway yet.

[@mikehindson-evans159]

Thanks for your dedication in bringing this historical document to fruition. The long-term planning needed to deliver mainline railway capacity into the next century is to be praised.

[@TonyAbbeyFETraining]

Fantastic sequence - I like the way the landscaping matures so quickly. I look forward to seeing your video of a train running through here!

[@KarlVaughan]

Thanks. Seeing that greenery on the banks gives me hope that the rest of it will look ok eventually. That is a long way off though.

[@bernhardm9475]

Another masterful video !!. I was spellbound looking at the progess over the months. Cheers !

[@KarlVaughan]

Thanks. It certainly has changed a lot. I never thought I would see the actual boring machines. The process seemed to go on forever.

[@petee19]

Thanks Karl, all so very interesting.

[@mikegriffin4657]

Another excellent video, thanks.

[@Carlos-im3hn]

thank you Karl. Pretty soon rails will emerge !

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

Good as it is the rails are years away.

[@martinsloman6905]

Great video sequence. I love to see HS2 going from a scar on the countryside to a landscaped modern railway.

[@simoncroft9792]

Thanks Karl, Im puzzled what those bunkers are in the middle of the line at 09:53 ?
Much of this project is a mystery, like what the big fully marked tarmac car park was for! Soon to be excavated into the cutting it would appear.

[@Jamie92208]

I have seen somewhere else that the teathat have built the tunnels, Align, have sub contracted to do some structures on the next section of track bed goi gmnorth. That is bei g constructed by a different consortium. This is a guess but they may well build a new concrete batching plant there on 'railway' land to produce the concrete for the bridges. Then they can clear up all the temporary works around the portal. Those bunkers look like cells for aggregate.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

That, and the Contractors and Sub Contractors staff car park where there would be a management team of a few hundred people. This section marks the start of the EKFB Jv Contract.

[@JohnLavender]

Will the TBMs be reused in another location or are they site-specific? This is a great summary of what happened at the site. I rely on these Videos as I live " oop North ".. 😊

[@KarlVaughan]

Thanks for watching. I honestly can't say what they plan to do with the parts from the TBMs. I assume they must have a use as there are still other machines currently being used elsewhere.

[@rochellehewston9367]

Great video. I enjoyed seeing it before, and then more recently. May ask what the music track is please at the start of the video. Thank you?

[@KarlVaughan]

Thanks. The music is by Dan Henig and is called Eternal Garden, from the UA-cam Audio Library. That is where I find all the music I need as it's not copyrighted.

[@rochellehewston9367]

Thank you

[@midlifebiker4394]

There seems to be a lot going on at the Wendover viaduct crossing at the moment, have you got any footage of that area coming up?

[@KarlVaughan]

I have nothing planned at the moment but if I do manage to fly over there I will of course share it here.

[@cargy930]

Great timeline there Karl. Well done.
I was thinking that if one machine was "Florence", and the other was called "Cecelia", then the painted TBM should have been called "Muriel" - Hilda Ogden's legendery misnomer for the scenic image on her living room wall. 😁

[@KarlVaughan]

Cheers. Yeah, I remember that from Coronation Street.