How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

From jobs and skills to Learning Legacy case studies, the HS2 project continues to provide good practice, innovation and lessons learned.

HS2 isn’t just about building a new piece of infrastructure, it’s an opportunity to connect communities, regenerate the economy and leave a lasting legacy of jobs and skills.

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Leaving a legacy’, explores explores how HS2 is supporting the communities along the line of route and adopting lessons learned from past mega-projects.

Featuring

Natalie Penrose, Head of Legacy, explains how we’re creating a workforce that’s fit for both now and the future, developing programmes to inspire young people into the industry as well as those previously out of work.

Dyan Crowther, CEO HS1, recalls her 35 years of experience in the rail industry and talks combating skills gaps and the shift in community views on projects like the Crossrail and HS1.

Cathy Elliott, Chair of Funds, Ground Works, takes us through the CEF and BLEF funding programmes and the support to get projects like Britain in Bloom and Warwickshire Arts Centre up and running.

Jonathan Bretherton, MD Urban Growth Company, explains the mission of the UGC and its development project of Arden Cross, an area near HS2’s Interchange Station that will include thousands of new homes, six million square feet of commercial development and brand new transport links.

Alex Couchman and Sam Harris, HS2 Project Manager Apprentices, describe how the freedom and support from the programme has allowed them to explore the project, deepen their knowledge and ultimately find an area of work they’re most excited about.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

With any project, health and safety plays an important role. From working at height to operating heavy machinery, there is always a risk towards the health and wellbeing of workers, and possibly the public.

How do workers identify and mitigate hazards? How do they make use of decades of progress in health and safety? And how do they build upon that knowledge to help improve industry best practice and beyond?

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Safe at Heart’, explores why nothing on this project is more important than the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone working on HS2.

Featuring

Emma Head – HS2 Technical Services Delivery Director

Fiona King – HS2 Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing

Dame Judith Hackitt – HS2 Non-Executive Director

Ben Bryant – Align TBM Engineer

Sasan Ghavami – BBV Deputy Project Director SL7

Emma outlines HS2’s Health and Safety Strategy along with how the organisation works with its supply chain to drive the performance of Health and Safety.

Fiona dives into the importance of Occupational Health and viewing the long-term risks to individuals that may only become present 20+ years later. She also talks through “Health by Design”. An approach of identifying and mitigating risks to health and wellbeing before construction even starts.

Dame Judith discusses the learning from other projects when it comes to health and safety along with having a project this scale to use as an opportunity to set new standards for the industry.

Ben explains the use of robotics on TBM “Cecilia”, and how it benefits the workers’ health and safety by removing risks of working from height and exposure to materials in the ground being excavated.

Sasan describes the Marston Box push and how actions taken not only benefited health and safety for the workforce, but also the local community.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

Climate change presents unprecedented challenges; the actions we take today will fundamentally affect our lives and the lives of future generations. How we travel – and how we build our infrastructure – are critical to our response to this global emergency.

It’s why we’re building HS2: to be both a catalyst for growth and the most sustainable railway of its type in the world. HS2 trains will be powered by zero carbon energy from day one of operation, offering a cleaner, greener future.

This commitment plays a key part in driving our goal to make the project net zero carbon from 2035, with targets of diesel free construction sites and reducing the carbon content of steel and concrete.

In Episode ten we explore the work towards cleaner construction. From our Net Zero Carbon Plan to working closely with the supply chain and research organisations to pilot and implement low carbon materials, alternative fuels, renewable energy and new construction methods.

Featuring

Emma Head, Technical Services Delivery Director, outlines HS2’s environmental sustainability vision and our commitments around carbon, diesel free construction sites and enhancing biodiversity.

Andrea Davidson, Air Quality Manager, dives into the decisions taken to reduce carbon on site, adopting lessons learned from across the industry to demonstrate that it isn’t just what, but how we build.

Daniel Marsh and Carl Desouza from Imperial College London’s Centre for Low Emission Construction talk about the support the university provides to HS2 to find out what works, what doesn’t and some of the projects they’ve collaborated on, including a retrofit project where an older part of machinery is fitted with the latest emissions reduction technology.

Steve Bradby, Technical and Engineering Leader at Select Plant Hire, invites us into the world of tower cranes.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

In this episode, we explore how it all fits together – how we integrate our rail systems.

Rail travel has come a long way over the years. Now, with advances in technology, demands of a growing population and faster, greener trains, we’re already underway with the complicated procedure of systems integration to ensure every aspect of the railway works together – from day one of operation.

From the inner workings of the Washwood Heath Control Centre to the complex world of integration, this next episode explores the many layers of rail systems needed to ensure our trains operate safely, efficiently and on time.

Featuring

Chris Rayner, Stations and Systems Delivery Director, describing the layers of various systems in place to make HS2 possible and how it differs to modern rail – from tunnel evacuation procedures to giving passengers broadband levels of Wi-Fi.

Kathryn Montgomery, Senior Manager – Train Service Delivery, takes us through the Washwood Heath Control Centre and how learning from outside the industry has influenced its construction.

Nassar Majothi, Director of Systems Integration, explains how the different systems communicate with each other along with challenges like cyber security.

And Professor Clive Roberts, Director for UK Railway Research and Innovation Network, gives a history of rail systems internationally, along with the research being undertaken to assure the future of high-speed rail systems for years to come.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

This episode of the HS2 podcast series is all about the journey, and the destination.

Stations sit at the heart of any railway system. They receive passenger flows from the railway network and provide interchange for other forms of transport. Their design must enable this flow to be efficient and pleasant, along with connections to other modes of transport must be smooth and easily navigable.

Stations must also support the communities that host them, creating new opportunities for economic growth in and around their footprint.

Episode eight explores everything stations. From concept design, to using the best technologies and methods to ensure all features work in the practical scenario.

Featuring

Laura Kidd – HS2 Head of Architecture – Laura starts the episode by documenting her experience designing stations for the passenger experience, and how each station being built the HS2 project is completely different based on location, design, and how the design will translate in operation.

Hala Lloyd – Former HS2 Lead Architect (Curzon) – Hala dives into detail of the structure of Curzon and Interchange including the use of BREEAM to ensue all stations are designed with the most sustainable technologies.

Adrian Hooper – HS2 Head of Engineering and Environment (Old Oak Common) – Adrian explains the use of the digital twin and headsets to walk around and test parts of the design within the practical scenario and making changes if needed.

David Lunts – CEO of Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) – David gives an overview of the role of the OPDC, its mission in maximising the investment and regeneration opportunities around the OOC station site, and the importance of working closely with local residents and business community.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

This episode of the HS2 podcast series goes back above ground to explore the design and construction of bridges, with a specific focus on HS2’s iconic Colne Valley Viaduct.

Good infrastructure will impact minimally on the surrounding environment. For some stretches of the HS2 route, the diverse landscape and ground conditions are not suitable for tunnels. Where elevated sections of the line are needed – like over lakes and waterways – it brings opportunity for the engineers and architects working on the project to construct a modern and complementary design for the railway, reflective of its natural surroundings.

Featuring

Billy Ahluwalia, HS2 Senior Project Manager on the UK’s longest railway bridge, the Colne Valley Viaduct.

David Smith, HS2 Lead Civil Structures Engineer

Laura Kidd, HS2 Lead Architect

Ludovic Vergne, Align JV Construction Project Manager for the Colne Valley Viaduct’s deck segment precast factory

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

The latest instalment of HS2’s podcast delves into the fascinating world of tunnelling.  As Phase One of the railway winds its way from Birmingham to London, it passes through an ever-changing landscape. Shaped by towns, cities and countryside, HS2 has been designed to minimise the impact on communities and the environment.

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Going underground’, explores one the most powerful tools in the project’s arsenal as we go underground to meet those who are calving the 64 miles of tunnels on the first phase of the project.

Featuring

Martin Herrenknecht, Herrenknecht CEO

Anders Danielsson, Skanska President and Global CEO

Martyn Noak, HS2 Head of Tunnel Engineering

Eddie Woods, HS2 Civil Engineering Support

Daniel Worsley, SCS TBM Tunnelling Manager

Michael Greiner, SCS Lead tunnel Manager

The episode kicks off with Martin Herrenknecht, CEO of world leading TBM manufacturer Herrenknecht. Martin shares an interesting career journey and how HS2 stacks up against other major projects.

We also hear from HS2’s own Martyn Noak, Head of Tunnel Engineering, and Eddie Woods, Civil Engineering Support, about the unique challenges of tunnelling under motorways, rivers and the Euston throat – already having the largest underground spaces created for transportation in Britain.

The episode also features tunnelling experts from main works contractor SCS, Daniel Worsley and Michael Greiner, as well as Anders Danielsson, Skanska President and Global CEO, who describes some of the key takeaways the HS2 project has already given to the industry worldwide.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

We are always looking towards new methods and technologies to help us work smarter, safer and more efficiently. Construction and engineering is no different.

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Opportunity for Innovation’, dives into some of the ways High Speed Two is working to create collaborative innovation partnerships using new technology and processes. This will enable a better and safer way of working for its staff during construction and ensure the best experience possible for all passengers once the railway is operational, leaving a lasting legacy for the construction and rail industries.

Featuring

Howard Mitchell, HS2 Head of Innovation

Charlotte Hills, HS2 Senior Innovation Manager

Heather Donald, HS2 Senior Innovation Manager

Ed McCann, ICE President

Charlotte describes the benefits of working close with the supply chain and how the use of Lean production allows site teams to watch themselves at work. Giving them the opportunity to collaboratively ask the question “How can we do it better?”

Ed outlines the background of ICE and how HS2 intersects within its three main points: Qualifying members, connections to clients, and the political space.

Howard explains the strategy behind innovation. Driving the themes and the topics that have the biggest impact to HS2 as a programme, and also the maximum benefit to the UK from this huge investment in the UK infrastructure landscape.

Heather talks through The Euston Living Lab project. Using LIDAR sensors to monitor the trends of the current Euston station to make better decisions for the future passenger experience. Displaying that the innovations are not just for the construction of the railway, but also when it’s operational.

How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

As the largest single environmental project in the UK, protecting and enhancing the environment has always been an integral part of the HS2 programme. Since 2009, every metre of the design has been carefully considered in navigating sites of natural significance.

This episode explores endeavours to protect, replace and improve the green spaces that will run alongside the railway – creating the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

HS2 has already started planting new woodlands and creating new wetlands, grasslands and meadows which are already thriving homes for wildlife.

Featuring

Kathleen Covill, Natural England’s Principal Advisor

Simon Mackrell, director at Thomson Environmental Consultants

David Prys-Jones of HS2

Kat Stanhope of HS2

In this episode, we learn about the opportunities to minimise the environmental impact throughout the construction and operation of HS2 and how the project is creating new ecological sites for protected species.

How to Build… a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

Over 250 miles of new high speed railway is planned, with trains capable of speeds up to 225mph (360km/h), and linking the biggest cities in Scotland with Manchester, Birmingham and London.

This episode of How to build a railway, ‘Preparing the ground’, takes a look at the early construction works that needed to be done on HS2, before building the stations, bridges, tunnels and track that will form the operational railway.

Featuring

Jonathan Gammon – Geotechnical Observations Limited Advisor/ Non Exec Director

Danny Allen – HS2 Euston Senior Project Manager

Richard Crathern – SCS Civils Senior Project Manager

Carl Ainley – SCS Utilities

Jaione Echeveste – SCS Utilities

Laura Hughes – Fugro Country Director

Dave Thomas – Fugro Site Services Director

Jonathan explains the design and implementation of the Ground Investigations programme for Phase One in 2014.

Laura and Dave talk about the wide range of techniques used to understand one of the most complicated areas of the project – Euston Station. From simple cone penetration to using AR to view the layers of ground beneath their feet.

Danny and Richard describe the challenges of dismantling the various structures for the Euston Station area including secret building basements and robustly built rooms.

Carl talks through the complex process of replacing old power cables and how this grows to fully understanding the area bit by bit using radar surveys and as-built records.

Jaione explains the preparation of the London power grid to support the operation of the Tunnel Boring Machines when main tunnelling in the area commences. They require an enormous 45MW of power to operate. The equivalent of 45,000 homes.