The depot will see a rolling stock of trains for the line, as well as house the railway’s control centre
Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure Ltd and Aureos Rail Ltd (TWA JV) have been awarded the contract to build the HS2 train depot.
The development as a whole will cover 70 hectares and be built on a brownfield site, the former LDV and Metro-Cammell works in Washwood Heath, with land around the edges remaining free for development.
Over 1,000 jobs are expected to be created
The depot itself will cover around 30 hectares and will include a Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, a Carriage Wash facility, an Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building, sidings for train storage, and a test track.
The Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) will also be built on the site, where train dispatch and driver communication will be managed. Buildings for offices, facilities, and cleaners are also planned around the site. The rest of the 70 hectares will be released for commercial development.
In total, the site will create around 1,000 new jobs, with an additional 500 during construction.
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.”
Work is proceeding quickly on HS2
Last month, all of the cross passages in the Northolt Tunnel were completed, marking a milestone for the second-longest tunnel on the HS2 route at 8.4 miles. Now that the tunnels have been mined, reinforced-concrete secondary collars are being installed to make the openings permanent and to allow fire-rated sliding doors to be installed.
All structural works in the tunnel are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, after which it will be ready for the installation of the rail systems.
Meanwhile, work is set to begin on the Saltley Viaduct, near Birmingham city centre, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to cross the new rail line. The viaduct will span 183 metres over the B4114, which is now closed as of 10 May to allow works to progress.
The construction will take over a year, and the reconstructed bridge will span the Birmingham and Derby rail line, the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, and the River Rea.
The work will be undertaken in stages, starting with precision demolition designed to impact the surrounding area as little as possible.
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