HS2 / Buckinghamshire.
Major earthworks. Digital control.
- Employer
- J Ffrench Limited [2]
- Amersham package
- Ventilation shaft groundworks
- Earthworks plant
- Approximately 50-tonne class
- Machine control
- Trimble GPS
HS2 Ltd’s Amersham ventilation shaft is one of five ventilation and emergency-access structures serving the 10-mile Chiltern Tunnel. Fans and associated equipment regulate air quality and temperature and extract smoke during a fire. Align JV is the main works contractor for this infrastructure [1]. My work through J Ffrench covered associated groundworks; I also operated on a substantial Buckinghamshire railway cutting.
Amersham — ventilation shaft groundworks
I carried out ground preparation, excavation, earthworks, ground stabilisation and formation preparation associated with the shaft site. These were supporting civil works within the wider construction programme.
Buckinghamshire — bulk cutting
Railway cuttings lower the formation through higher ground to achieve the required alignment and gradients. I operated an approximately 50-tonne-class excavator equipped with Trimble GPS machine control. I carried out bulk excavation and railway cutting formation, working to design levels and maintaining excavation profiles.
From digital surface to finished formation
A design model defines the target surface. Machine control compares the calculated bucket position with that surface to show the remaining cut or fill. I used that information alongside drawings and site levels to guide excavation and formation preparation. GPS guidance supports judgement and accurate operation; it does not replace either.
Scale with control
These packages combined substantial material movement with precise formation work. I bring that combination to final trim, drainage and civil infrastructure: understanding the model, interpreting the required level and controlling the machine accordingly.
Project photographs.
Wider HS2 project context, with the locations and dates identified below. My own operating responsibilities are described in the case study; the photographed plant and crews are not attributed to me.
Engineering gallery.
Official project references.
Project facts checked 4 November 2026. Personal responsibilities are described from my own experience. Illustrations are original explanatory work.