HS2 reports almost 30,000 employees now working for the high-speed railway line

More than 2,300 individuals have joined HS2 to work on building the super speedy railway line's new stations, viaducts, bridges and embankments during the past three months. It brings the current workforce to just shy of 30,000 workers.

With 350 sites across England, the project's record employment numbers reflect the scope of the huge works currently in progress.

The launch of the first massive tunnelling machine in London and the first tunnelling breakthrough are just a couple of the notable construction achievements that have fuelled workforce growth for HS2 since the summer.

More than 200 unemployed people have also received employment help, bringing the total number of formerly jobless individuals currently working on HS2 to a shade under 2,500. In order to guarantee that individuals who are most in need have access to quick training programmes that result in paid work trials and employment in a matter of weeks, HS2's construction partners collaborate with local governments and employment assistance services along the railway's path.

Mark Thurston, the CEO of HS2 Ltd said this about the news: “HS2 is delivering growth for the UK economy today. Our contract awards are helping small businesses across the UK to grow and sustain their workforces, and nearly 30,000 people are benefitting from skilled jobs with a long-term future."

“By supporting apprentices and the unemployed into meaningful careers on HS2 we’re creating the next generation of engineers and construction workers, a trend that will continue as our construction programme gathers momentum going North.”

Main picture courtesy of HS2

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