UK: Main construction works for Birmingham Curzon Street High Speed 2 station were officially launched on January 24.
The station has been designed by WSP and Grimshaw Architects, and according to HS2 Ltd is inspired by ‘the great arched roofs built by the Victorian railway pioneers’.
Lead contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture was awarded a £570m contract to build the station in 2021. Having developed the detailed construction programme, it has now begun major earthworks to prepare the site for piling and foundations.
Construction of the main building is expected to start in the summer. Work on the façade will begin in summer 2025, with construction of concourse steelwork and the roof due to start in autumn 2025. Internal fit-out will start towards the end of 2025 and finish at the end of 2028. Operational testing and commissioning will run from summer 2026 to autumn 2028. The opening of HS2 is now expected between 2029 and 2033.
‘Curzon Street will become one of the most environmentally-friendly stations in the world, and the gateway to Birmingham for future HS2 passengers’, said Rail Minister Huw Merriman.
‘Birmingham is a hive of HS2 construction, with the project already supporting thousands of jobs and apprenticeships in and around the city.’
Executive Chair of HS2 Ltd Sir Jon Thompson said ’the connectivity created by Birmingham Curzon Street station and its public realm will create far-reaching social and economic opportunities across Birmingham’s Eastside by linking together the learning and creative quarters, new residential developments and the city centre.
’As work ramps up over the coming months, many jobs, apprenticeships and supply chain opportunities will be on offer — building on the economic benefits already making an impact in the region.’
