The first beams have been lifted at the station, marking the beginning of construction for the Curzon Street station deck
The Curzon Station deck will be 13,370m2 upon completion, roughly the size of two football pitches, and will support the eastern side of the station in preparation for HS2 trains.
The beams are made of concrete, and 556 of them will need to be lifted into position to support the platforms.
Each beam is precast off-site
Up to 34 metres in length and up to 58 tonnes in weight, every beam is cast off-site before being transported to be lifted into position. The beams are being created in Ireland by Shay Murtagh Precast. The beams are then delivered by truck, the journeys of which are planned so that delays are minimised, and the beams arrive early in the morning.
Most of the beams are then lifted into position using crawler cranes, but up to 120 of the beams, which are closer to the existing railway, are lifted onto a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) to be moved into position.
The SPMTs are manoeuvrable pieces of equipment on 96 wheels, and are able to precisely lift and position the beams. This means that there is no risk of delays caused by needing to have large cranes near the railway, and services going into Birmingham New Street can continue as normal.
When finished, the station shall stretch for roughly 450 metres between Moor Street and Millennium Point, and have an arched roof around the same size as London St Pancras International. A new tram stop will also be built under the station as part of the new Digbeth line.
The seven platforms at Curzon Street station will be built on a viaduct-like structure supported by 188 concrete piers, supporting part of the platforms and connecting to the viaducts entering the station from the east.
HS2 Ltd’s project client for Curzon Street, Jonathan Berry, said: “We’ve been making good progress with the construction of the station, but up to now, it’s mostly been beneath the ground – focused on the piling and foundations that will underpin the building.
“That’s why it’s great to see the first beams in position as we begin to assemble the enormous deck that will support our seven high speed platforms. Once complete, Curzon Street will become a new gateway to Birmingham, offering easy access to the city centre and connections to onward destinations, via tram, bus and rail, improving journeys and supporting growth across the West Midlands.”
A video was released showing off the concrete piles
In March, all 2,011 concrete piles for the station’s foundations were completed. A video released alongside the announcement details the completed piles and images were also published showing the designs being submitted to Birmingham City Council.
HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager, Alistair Morgan said: “Once complete, Curzon Street will be a new landmark for Birmingham – and provide a fitting city centre terminus for a railway that will improve journeys and free up space on the existing West Coast Main Line. These new images also show how it will be integrated into the rest of the city – with new green spaces, better accessibility and onward public transport links.
“It’s great to see how much progress has been made on the foundation works and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been working so hard to get the job done. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do before the first passengers arrive, and I look forward to seeing more significant progress in the year ahead.”
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