A logistics hub has been unveiled where London tunnels' waste will be processed.

Located near Willesden Junction it will form the beating heart of the logistics operation for HS2 in London. It has been constructed and will be operated by the Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture, HS2’s main works civils contractor.

Construction of HS2's 26 miles of London tunnels will require 5.6million tonnes of earth to be excavated. After being processed at the hub, it will be taken by train to three locations across the UK – Barrington in Cambridgeshire, Cliffe in Kent, and Rugby in Warwickshire – where it will be reused, filling voids which will then be used as a basis for redevelopment, such as house building.

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The site will also receive more than 100,000 pre-cast tunnel segment rings to build the walls of the London tunnels, delivered by rail from UK manufacturing sites. Our SCS JV has already confirmed that the first contract for pre-cast tunnel segment rings has been awarded to Pacadar UK, and will be delivered to the site from their factory on the Isle of Grain in Kent.

At its peak, eight trains will leave and arrive at the logistics hub every day, maximising the use of rail freight in the construction of HS2 in London and reducing by one million the number of lorry movements on the UK's roads.

James Richardson, Managing Director of Skanska Costain STRABAG JV, said: "The logistics hub is central to the London Tunnels programme. Collaborating with other partners delivering HS2, we will remove 5.6million tonnes of spoil by rail and bringing in our tunnel segments, taking one million lorry journeys off the road. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and by using rail we will reduce our carbon emissions for logistics by 40 per cent."