HS2 has begun the search for a construction team to deliver the design-and-build package for Birmingham’s Curzon Street station worth up to £435m.
The new station, which is set to open in 2026, aims to unlock 36,000 jobs and 4,000 new homes. The contract has an estimated value of between £355m and £435m.
Early works contractors are on the site in the centre of Birmingham preparing for main construction works.
Designed by WSP and Grimshaw Architects, the new Curzon Street station is described as the first new intercity station built in the UK since the 19th century.
Featuring 400 m-long platforms to accommodate the high-speed services, the station will include seven platforms in 2026 when the first phase of HS2 is expected to open.
The station will be fully integrated into Birmingham’s tram network and will offer connections to the wider West Midlands.
The winning construction bidder will take over the design functions from the WSP-Grimshaw team once the scheme has been granted planning permission.
HS2’s CEO at the CN Summit
Mark Thurston will be on stage tomorrow for Day One of the two-day CN Summit. There’s still time to book your place, plus look out for all the Summit coverage and reaction over the coming days.
HS2’s other Birmingham stop – Interchange – will form part of a new gateway station for the region and is part of a larger transport hub serving the West Midlands, Birmingham Airport and the NEC.
Over the weekend the Sunday Times reported that HS2 could be delivered more than a year late and exceed its official £55.7bn budget.
The newspaper reported that negotiations over the main civils contracts for the new lines had come in “several billion pounds” above the £6.6bn budget.
Commenting on the Curzon Street procurement, HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston said: “HS2 is already unlocking new opportunities to create skilled jobs across the West Midlands and, over the next decade, the winner of the Curzon Street contract will go on to build one of the most exciting and high-profile elements of the project.
“We’re looking for the best the construction industry has to offer. Companies that share our commitment to safety, good design, environmental protection and value for money.
“Together we will deliver an iconic new gateway to Birmingham – a building the city, the wider region and the travelling public can be proud to call their own.”