First Freight Train Has Arrived At HS2’s Site In Buckinghamshire

On 18 December 2020, the first freight train has arrived at HS2’s main construction compound in Buckinghamshire, as work continues to prepare for the start of construction across the central section of Britain’s new high-speed railway. The train - operated by DB Cargo and Hanson - delivered 1,650 t of aggregate that will be used in the construction of the temporary Calvert Railhead.

The 26,200 m² Calvert Railhead site is roughly halfway between London and Birmingham and will be run by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB - a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and Bam Nuttall. EKFB are delivering the 80 km central section of the route, including 17 viaducts, 81 bridges and three ‘green tunnels’ and are set to create 4,000 jobs over the next two years.

Over the next year, more than 180 freight trains are set to deliver material to the site taking the equivalent of 12,670 trucks off the road and saving 30,150 t of carbon - the equivalent of flying from London to Edinburgh 930 times.

At the peak of construction, more than 650 people will work at the Calvert Railhead, stockpiling materials and managing the logistics and construction of the central section of the new railway. Once HS2 is complete, the site will landscaped, leaving only a small infrastructure maintenance depot.

Across the whole HS2 project, 15,000 freight trains are set to be used to haul 10 million tonnes of aggregate to construction sites - taking the equivalent of 1.5 million HGVs off the UK’s road.