The team building the section of HS2 that runs over the Colne Valley and through the Chiltern Hills are used to opposition. HS2 has been a controversial project from the start and this section is one of those at the top of the list.

This team, called Align, is a joint venture between Bouygues, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick. They are building C1, a relatively short, 21.6km-long section beginning near Ruislip in the south and finishing near Great Missenden to the north-west. This section, which is costing £1.6bn, takes in one of the most complex and arguably sensitive parts of HS2.

The line crosses the Colne Valley, an area of lakes and woodland on a 3.4km-long viaduct before diving underground underneath the Chiltern hills for 16km. Located on the edge of west London, the Colne Valley is a popular destination for walking, fishing, cycling, watersports and horse riding. Parts of the site are a designated site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and include ancient woodland.

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