HS2's London Logistics Hub at Willesden Euro Terminal has reached the milestone of transporting one million tonnes of spoil, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing high-speed rail project. The Logistics Hub, managed by HS2's London Tunnels Contractor, the Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture (SCS JV), has also succeeded in taking a staggering 110,000 lorry movements off the roads, showcasing the project's commitment to sustainable and efficient transportation.
The spoil being transported by the London Logistics Hub comes from various HS2 project sites, including Old Oak Common Station, the Victoria Road Crossover Box in Ealing, and the nearby Atlas Road sites. This material is vital in the construction of the high-speed railway and needs to be efficiently transferred to designated locations for beneficial re-use projects, such as a nature reserve for birds.
The logistical challenge of managing such a large volume of spoil requires meticulous planning and state-of-the-art technology. The material will be transported to the site via a network of conveyor belts, which will be opened in November 2022. At Willesden, the spoil will then be transferred to rail wagons which will take it to sites in Kent, Rugby and Cambridgeshire for further use.
"Every tonne of material is tracked by our state-of-the-art Logistics Hub, from the moment the material goes onto our 1.7mile-long conveyor towards our rail terminal and then onto the existing rail freight network to their final destinations in the UK. While our geographic footprint stretches across London to Kent, Rugby and Cambridgeshire, we have achieved as low a carbon footprint as possible at each stage of our logistics operation,” emphasized James Richardson, Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture.
Over the course of the project, the Logistics Hub is expected to transfer and transport a total of over 5 million tonnes of spoil. This, combined with the reduction in spoil haulage, is expected to eliminate one million lorry journeys over the lifetime of HS2. At peak capacity, the hub will witness seven trains departing daily, each carrying an impressive 1,500 tonnes of material, which is equivalent to 80 lorry loads.
