Lead contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV), supported by Keltbray, is installing 2,000 vertical concrete columns for the foundations of HS2’s Birmingham city centre rail hub.
The majority of the piles on the 100,000 square metre site will support the new station building and platforms above, with a smaller number of interlocking piles used to create the main walls of the station basement that will house operational facilities.
A team of 80 people is delivering the foundations work using three 95-tonne, 30-metre-tall piling rigs on the site.
Piling is planned to be completed by mid-2025, with the installation of further foundations on top of the piling starting next year. The design of the station will also be finalised over the next year, focusing on the details of features including the roof and the internal fit-out of the station.
Dave Lock, HS2’s project client director for Curzon Street Station, said: “This is a great milestone for the project and means we will soon see this new landmark building take shape. We’re now well on the way to building the region’s new rail hub that will play a vital role in the long-term economic future of the West Midlands.”
MDJV project director Martyn Woodhouse added: “The start of foundation works for Curzon Street Station means we’re now starting a crucial stage of construction. Since the beginning of the year, the team has worked hard to deliver the major earthworks to prepare for the big piling operation which will form the foundations of the station.”
