The 8.9 meters long TBM will be launched in the coming weeks to dig a 300m long drainage tunnel close to the north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel at South Heath. The vast majority of the route north of the Chiltern tunnel from South Heath to Wendover is set low in the landscape in a series of cuttings to protect views across the countryside, with the drainage tunnel needed to help rainwater run-off.

The drainage tunnel is being built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor, EKFB - a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall - working with specialist tunnelling contractors Active Tunnelling.

A second identical machine, to be named ‘Marsha’ after African-American gay and transgender rights activist Marsha P Johnson, will be launched at the end of May to complete the other 450 metres of the drainage tunnel.

https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/students-from-the-misbourne-in-great-missenden-name-hs2-mini-tbm-lizzie