The boring machines for two new HS2 tunnels going underneath Ruislip were recently blessed by a priest on the patron saint day for tunnellers and miners.
On Monday, December 4, Father Timothy Gorham of Ealing Abbey carried out the religious ceremony in PPE clothing rather than his traditional priestly robes, honouring St Barbara, an early Christian martyr in Greece.
The items blessed were two machines named Emily and Anne. These will dig the Northolt Tunnel East, part of the wider Northolt Tunnel, which will run for 8.4 miles between North Action and West Ruislip.
Also blessed were two statues of St Barbara, which will be placed at the portal of the tunnels when work begins this month. This is part of a practice believed to date back to the earliest traditions in mining, aimed at protecting the underground tunnellers whilst they work.
James Richardson, a manager of one of HS2’s joint ventures, said: “We are already one year into constructing the section of tunnel between West Ruislip and Victoria Road.
“We are well on the way to delivering the high-speed tunnels into London.”
Photo credit: HS2
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