HS2 Ltd has installed a plaque 40m underground to mark the spot where the high-speed railway passes beneath the tomb of the Brunel family – one of the world’s greatest engineering dynasties.
The two TBMs constructing the Euston Tunnel between Old Oak Common and central London travel underneath Kensal Green Cemetery, the first of the ‘magnificent seven’ cemeteries established outside of central London between 1833 and 1841. The Brunel family, including Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel, were buried there.
This section of the railway is being delivered by Skanksa Costain Strabag (SCS).
Inspired by the boring mechanism of the shipworm, Sir Marc Brunel invented the tunnel shield method, patenting the rectangular tunnelling shield in 1818. It was used in 1825 to excavate the Thames Tunnel in London, the world’s first underwater tunnel.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel continued with revolutionary tunnelling projects, building the Box Tunnel for the Great Western Railway –the longest railway tunnel in the world at the time. Despite being considered an impossible and dangerous engineering project by its critics, the Box Tunnel between Chippenham and Bath is considered one of Brunel’s most celebrated structures.
Isambard Brunel is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated civil engineers of all time, working as chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, collaborating on the design and construction of Paddington Station, as well as being the designer of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Mark Wild said the significance of the Brunels’ engineering achievements could not be under played.
“How we build our tunnels today is because of Sir Marc’s work, and how we build our railways is because of how Isambard Brunel built the Great Western Mainline. He built railways flat and straight, and future-proofed them for improvements in speed and capacity which is why we still use them today,” he said.
“Installing this plaque gives me the opportunity to reflect on the scale of what the 30,000 strong workforce on HS2 are building – a new railway for future generations that will stand the test of time, despite all the challenges we face.”
Katherine McAlpine said modern tunnelling of the scale of HS2 would not have been possible without Marc Brunel.
“His tunnelling shield which he patented in 1818, made way for the TBMs of today. 200 years ago, the father and son team embarked on an audacious project to dig the world’s first tunnel under a navigable river, laying the foundations for huge projects like this,” she said.
“I am delighted we are able to mark this milestone of HS2 travelling underneath the final resting place of Marc Brunel and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, as a testament to their ingenuity and perseverance.”
SCS delivery lead Eddie Edmonds said it was a privilege to recognise the Brunels as the joint venture’s work passed beneath their memorial.
“They paved the way for safe modern tunnelling methods and the use of shielded tunnel machines that have enabled us to be safely tunnelling today,” he said.
“For the SCS team delivering the tunnel, passing beneath Brunel’s final resting place is both a technical achievement and a moment of reflection. Unveiling this plaque recognises the extraordinary engineering legacy Brunel left behind while celebrating the expertise and commitment of our workforce today and the way we’re delivering the works that will shape the country’s infrastructure for generations to come.”
Two TBMs were launched towards Euston earlier this year and will complete the 7.2km route next year.
