The TBM Dorothy at the start of its journey.

In England, the high-speed rail project (HS2) is celebrating a significant milestone with their first tunneling breakthrough. The 1 mile long tunnel is located at Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire, about 35 miles south of Birmingham.

The tunneling project was the first to be launched in the Midlands and was deemed necessary to protect the ancient woodland above. It took 170 engineers to construct the 2,000 ton, 125m long Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named Dorothy. A team of 400 people helped the TBM complete its first journey. Dorothy will now be dismantled so it can be reassembled for a second boring at this location, which is due to be completed in 2023.

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