HS2 C1 Receives Government Approval to proceed to Stage 2

Rendel’s Infrastructure team is absolutely delighted that the Department of Transport has approved and issued a Notice to Proceed to Align to deliver Stage 2 of the C1 package of HS2. The UK government has given the go-ahead for Stage 2 (detailed design and construction) of Contract C1 (Chiltern Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct) connecting London to Birmingham.

Rendel/Ingerop and Jacobs together with members of Align JV form the AlignD joint venture as designers for Align JV (Bouygues TP, VolkerFitzpatrick & Sir Robert McAlpine). AlignD are performing the detailed design for all structures on the package C1 route covering 21.6km of high-speed rail infrastructure crossing the Colne Valley including the 3.37km Colne Valley viaduct and the Chilterns via a 15.75km twin-bored tunnel.

Vardy Jones, Managing Director at Rendel, said, “This is great news indeed, at a time when we really need positive announcements in the industry. We are looking forward to getting started on the completion of design and construction.”

Senior Directors of Align have been quoted in the press today as below.

Jean-Pierre Margolin, Executive Director at Bouygues Travaux Publics and an Align Board Director commented; “I am delighted with how the Align team has come together to develop the design and planning in close coordination with all stakeholders involved for what will be an iconic element of HS2. Each company involved in the Align JV is proud to be playing its part in delivering Europe’s largest infrastructure project.“

Daniel Altier, Align Project Director, added; “This is a complex project, however we have delivered some unique innovations to address the engineering challenges relating to both design and planned construction of the tunnel, the tunnel shafts and the viaduct. It’s both rewarding and exciting to get the construction element of the project underway.”