HS2 Ltd has confirmed that Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure Ltd and Aureos Rail Ltd (TWA JV) have been chosen to build the high-speed railway’s main control centre and rolling stock depot.
The 856 million GBP contract will see the site built on a disused 70-hectare brown field site in Birmingham, and will involve close collaboration between the joint venture and HS2.
Around a thousand permanent jobs are expected to be created at the depot
© HS2 Ltd
Transforming what was formerly the LDV and Metro-Cammell works in Washwood Heath; the new depot will cover roughly 30-hectares and includea state-of-the-art Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, Carriage Wash, Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building and sidings where high-speed trains can be stored overnight as well as a test track.
The site will also host the main Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC), where staff will manage the dispatch of trains, communicate with drivers and ensure that services run smoothly.
There will be separate buildings to house offices and facilities for cleaners and drivers, with the remaining set to be released for commercial development and used to create new green spaces and wildlife habitat.
With Washwood Heath ranking amongst the most deprived areas in the UK (according to 2021 Census data); the new depot is expected to provide highly skilled jobs, with roughly a thousand long-term jobs expected to be created at the site, as well as 500 temporary roles during construction.
During the run up to the award, HS2 Ltd’s readiness to proceed, as well as its contract management capability, was assessed by CEO Mark Wild and an independent review panel in an effort to reflect lessons learned from the Main Works Civils contracts, James Stewart’s review of HS2 governance, and Crossrail.
Lord Hendy, Rail Minister said:
Washwood Heath and the wider HS2 programme will create thousands of jobs across the West Midlands – from the construction teams transforming this former industrial site, to the skilled workforce who will operate this state-of-the-art facility for decades to come. Together, they will help deliver faster, more reliable rail journeys across the UK.
HS2 continues to reach major milestones as we work to get the project back on track and unlock its full potential to drive economic growth, jobs, and homes across the country.
The site at Washwood Heath, which is situated alongside the A47 Heartlands Parkway and the existing railway, was formerly a hub of railway manufacturing for more than a century, with all current Pendolino trains operated by Avanti between London and Birmingham amongst the last trains to be built on the site before it closed in 2005.
This new contract will see the TWA JV work closely with HS2 Ltd and the operator to finalise requirements for the site, as well as complete the design. They will then build, test and commission the depot.
Thus far, HS2’d construction partner in the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), has already made progress at Washwood Heath, having levelling all disused industrial buildings and cleaning the earth to remove harmful contaminants. Along the site’s northern edge; BBV engineers have completed a 750-metre-long retained cutting’ that will carry trains down into the Bromford tunnel on their way out of Birmingham. Excavation of this 3.5-mile-long tunnel was completed last year with the teams now focused on the internal concrete work and cross passages.
Additionally; work is now progressing to the west of the site, where BBV is building a series of viaducts that will carry services into the new Curzon Street station in the city centre.