HS2 tunnelling causes homes to sink and crack in London

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 23:44 · Archive

Homeowners near Queen's Park station in London report their Victorian properties have sunk and cracked since HS2 tunnel boring work in August and September.

Around a dozen homeowners near Queen's Park station in north-west London report that HS2 tunnel boring work has caused their properties to sink and crack. The damage escalated after a tunnel boring machine passed roughly 18 metres underground between 30 August and 13 September, carving out track between Euston and Old Oak Common. Properties on Claremont Road and Kilburn Lane were worst affected, with cracks either appearing for the first time or worsening markedly after the tunnelling concluded.

One 57-year-old resident, Sonia, said cracking in her bathroom had worsened over the summer before construction caused the entire property to sink so severely those living inside could not open the front door. She told MyLondon: 'When I saw the cracks get worse, I was really worried. I didn't know what to do.' A homeowner on Claremont Road said he noticed a crack spanning the entire height of his building at the end of September, telling MyLondon: 'As a homeowner, when you've invested your entire life savings into your home, it's disheartening to see that we are left to now deal with this damage and without necessarily any clarity from HS2 on a speedy resolution.'

Brent Council has taken emergency action at one end-of-terrace property on Claremont Road, erecting scaffolding to shore up the structure after cracking reached dangerous levels. Ground-floor tenants were relocated to alternative accommodation. One homeowner had been invited by HS2 Ltd in September 2025 to sign a settlement deed enabling him to claim compensation should tunnelling harm his property.

How it is being reported

• Homeowners 'trying not to panic' as HS2 tunnelling causes homes to 'sink and crack'Homeowners in West London are said to be "trying not to panic" after witnessing their properties beginning to "crack" and "sink". Residents living near Queen's Park Station in West London say the tunnelling works as part of the HS2 rail project is causing severe damage to their homes. The damage, residents say, has escalated dramatically since a tunnel boring machine passed roughly 18 metres underground between August 30 and September 13, carving out part of the route linking Euston to Old Oak Common. Properties along Claremont Road and Kilburn Lane in London have been worst affected, with…GB News · 1 Nov, 23:30
• Homeowners 'trying not to panic' after HS2 tunnelling causes their Victorian houses to 'sink and crack'Workers began using a tunnel boring machine underneath two streets in Queen's Park, north-west London, to carve out a stretch of the track between Euston and Oak Common Road in August.Daily Mail · 1 Nov, 16:55

In this story: HS2 · Queen's Park · London · Euston · Old Oak Common · Claremont Road · Kilburn Lane · Brent Council

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log