Homeowners in London's Queen's Park neighborhood are reporting structural damage to their Victorian-era homes, including cracks and sinking, which they attribute to ongoing tunnel boring for the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project. Residents on Kilburn Lane and Claremont Road have noted significant deterioration in their properties since August, when tunnel boring machines began operating underneath the streets as part of the track construction between Euston and Oak Common Road.
Approximately a dozen homeowners have experienced damage, with some being relocated. One resident, a 57-year-old woman identified only as Sonia, described how cracks in her bathroom worsened over the summer, eventually leading to the property sinking to such an extent that the front door became difficult to open. She expressed worry about the situation, stating, "When I saw the cracks get worse, I was really worried. I didn't know what to do." Another homeowner recounted a crack extending the full length of her property, while a third noted a wall crack had widened to the size of a £1 coin. One resident also reported a "spiderweb of cracks" appearing on their living room ceiling.
Some residents have lodged formal complaints with HS2 but claim they were informed of an eight to ten-week waiting period for a response. Ground-floor residents on Claremont Road were moved to temporary housing two weeks prior to the report, following the erection of emergency scaffolding around their building. The homes affected, many built in the early 20th century, are now considered to pose a safety risk.
HS2 has stated that it takes its responsibilities to communities seriously and aims to respond promptly to concerns. The organization indicated that claims from areas potentially affected by their work are investigated thoroughly, and compensation will be provided if tunneling is found to have had a material impact on a property. However, HS2's analysis of monitoring data suggests that ground settlement in the area due to tunneling has been minor and within expected parameters.
The HS2 project, initially projected to cost £32.7 billion in 2011 prices, has seen its budget spiral considerably, with estimates now potentially exceeding £100 million. The original plan for HS2 was to extend the line from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester, but these sections were later canceled by the government to manage escalating costs. Current projections indicate that services between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham's Curzon Street station are expected to commence between May 2036 and October 2039. The full high-speed line, including services to Euston station in central London, is not anticipated to be operational until between May 2040 and December 2043.
