Safety door facility opens
BOLTONBASED Booth Industries has opened a purpose-built operation for manufacturing tunnel safety doors for the HS2 project.
As a result of the £36.5 million 10-year contract awarded in September 2020, Booth created the new facility adjacent to its main factory. The company has also started to expand its workforce, a process which will continue as the contract enters its later phases.
The initial focus will be on development and testing before attention turns to manufacturing of the cast-in sub-frames. Manufacture and installation of the doors is expected to begin in 2025.
The doors will seal-off the cross passageways between north and southbound tunnels, as well as giving access in an emergency. HS2 claims the design will set a new benchmark for the industry and be a world first owing to the requirement to maintain integrity and insulation for two hours in the event of a fire and to withstand the pressure cycles caused by trains capable of travelling at up to 250 miles per hour.