HS2 Photo Diary - Chiltern Society

HS2

The construction of the HS2 high speed railway line will have a major impact on the Central Chilterns and the Colne Valley Regional Park. Some of these locations will never be the same again and we will keep a record of the changes as construction progresses.

Chiltern Society member Keith Hoffmeister has been taking photographs at a number of locations since plans were first announced in 2010. He is now covering the construction phase and will eventually show the completed phase 1 of the project when trains start to run between Old Oak Common and Birmingham anytime between 2029 and 2033. (Construction of the route beyond Birmingham was cancelled in 2023).

The Society will make a series of online update presentations as construction continues. You can view them on YouTube by following the links below (each opens a new window).

See the 1st (January 2021) here,
the 2nd (July 2021) here,
the 3rd (January 2022) here,
the 4th (July 2022) here,
the 5th (January 2023) here,
the 6th (July 2023) here,
the 7th (January 2024) here,
the 8th (July 2024) here,
the 9th (January 2025) here,
the 10th (July 2025) here,
the 11th (January 2025) here.

View a virtual fly-through across the Chilterns and South Buckinghamshire, taken in October 2022, by clicking the image below (opens a YouTube-hosted video in a new window).

View a virtual fly-through along the route across the Colne Valley Regional Park, the Central Chilterns and the Vale of Aylesbury, taken in December 2025, by clicking the image below (opens a YouTube-hosted video in a new window).

Impact locations

The locations are shown below in geographical order northwards from the Colne Valley Regional Park to Wendover. Where given, directions are in relation to the route. North is towards Birmingham and south towards London.

The enabling works contactors are Fusion JV (Morgan Sindall, BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman).

Construction contractors for the Colne Valley viaduct and the Chiltern tunnel are Align JV (Bouygues Travaux Publics, VolkerFitzpatrick, Sir Robert McAlpine).

Construction contractors north of the Chiltern tunnel are EKFB JV (Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall).

Note: PRoW refers to Public Rights of Way, i.e., public footpaths and bridleways. TBMs refers to tunnel boring machines (named Florence and Cecilia).

These images may be reproduced without charge, but please credit the Chiltern Society. To obtain high resolution versions please contact the Society at office@chilternsociety.org.uk.