‘Red Emma’ Reaches a Major Milestone for Winvic at West Midlands Interchange

Winvic Construction Ltd and Active Tunnelling have completed tunnelling works beneath the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, marking a significant milestone for the West Midlands Interchange development.

The transformative West Midlands Interchange project is being delivered by a joint venture between Oxford Properties Group, a leading global real estate investor, asset manager and business builder, and Logistics Capital Partners, a best-in-class developer and asset manager of logistics real estate across Europe.

The 734-acre site, just off junction 12 of the M6, will create eight million sq ft of logistics space on the spine of the UK’s road and rail networks, allowing 88% of the population to be reached within a four-hour drive, well inside the HGV single trip limit. The project aims to help address the significant supply demand imbalance for prime, modern, and well-connected logistics space with strong environmental credentials in the region.

The tunnelling works involved the use of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which operated at a depth of 10 metres and drilled a length of 25 metres as part of the site-wide drainage works.

The depth of the tunnel was carefully designed to protect the historic Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, which lies directly above the construction site. Due to the canal’s heritage status, additional precautions were implemented to minimise any risks associated with working beneath such sensitive infrastructure. The tunnelling works took five days to complete.

A traditional practice in tunnel drilling, dating back to the 16^th century, is to name the TBM carrying out the works. This is a custom rooted in the historical association with Saint Barbara, the patron Saint of miners who was believed to offer protection against the dangers of working underground.

Winvic asked industry organisation CECA Midlands, to name the TBM in this instance, and Lisa Hollington, Business Support Officer, chose ‘Red Emma’ in honour of Emma Sproson – a pioneering working-class political figure from the Black Country.

Born in 1867 in West Bromwich, Emma overcame extreme poverty and limited education to become a leading voice for social change. Inspired by a political meeting in Southport where her question was dismissed due to her gender, she became a fierce suffragette.

In 1921, Emma made history as Wolverhampton’s first female councillor, earning the nickname ‘Red Emma’ for her passionate advocacy for the working class and women’s rights.

Rob Cook, Managing Director for Civils & Infrastructure, Winvic commented: “Completing this technically complex tunnelling operation beneath the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a proud milestone for everyone involved in the West Midlands Interchange project. It showcases the precision, collaboration and engineering excellence that Winvic is known for. Protecting heritage infrastructure while progressing modern, large-scale developments is no small feat, and this achievement highlights our commitment to delivering critical infrastructure safely, efficiently and sustainably.”

James Markby, Managing Partner at LCP, said: “This is a significant step forward for the project, continuing the excellent progress being made across the piece. The WMI site is set to become the country’s most significant rail served logistics development and will become a crucial component of the UK’s strategic freight network. It will be key to decarbonising UK logistics and supporting the country’s wider net zero aspirations. WMI will also make a significant contribution to the local economy, creating 8500 direct jobs and boosting opportunities for people in South Staffordshire, the Black Country, the West Midlands, and other surrounding areas. We look forward to reaching more major milestones across the project in the coming months.”

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