Revised plans lodged for landmark HS2 station

Amended plans for HS2’s Birmingham Curzon Street station have been submitted to Birmingham City Council.
Detailed designs for the station will see it fitted with additional cycle parking, more seating spaces, and simplified access between platforms. Changes to the construction materials will also be made to future-proof the station and minimise maintenance requirements over its 120-year life span.
Improvements to the arrival areas include a change in material from timber to aluminium for the station roof.
There’s been a redesign of the southern entrance of the Eastern Concourse which will now be set back to create a covered area and its façades have been simplified with washable and graffiti-proof coloured ceramic tiling.
Cycle parking has also been prioritised in the amendments, with a large area designated for parking and subject to funding, space is also safeguarded for a potential future cycle hub.
Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV), working with their design partners Arcadis and WSP Joint Venture along with Grimshaw architects, have created the proposed design refinements.
Consent for the station, based on an outline scheme design, was secured in 2020. HS2 has since appointed MDJV as its construction and design partner.
Major earthworks have already started on the construction site, preparing for foundation work to get underway this Autumn and building work on the main station structure to start next year.
The railway is expected to be operational between 2029 and 2033.
When the re-design was announced in September, Dave Lock, HS2’s project client director for Curzon Street Station said: “We’re pleased that these design refinements mark a key step in enhancing the detailed features of Curzon Street Station, which will be an iconic gateway to Birmingham for future HS2 passengers.
“Once built, the station will strengthen Birmingham’s transport connections, support the regeneration of Eastside and Digbeth, and play a vital role in the long-term economic future of the West Midlands.”
Jason Millett, board member for Mace Dragados joint venture said: “Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station will be the first new intercity terminus built in Britain since the 19th century. With 21st century design principles, the station will improve accessibility and spur the region’s economy forward.
“These refinements will enhance the station further, enable the use of future-proofed materials and will now be shared with the community as we gear up for work on the main station structure.”
Grimshaw partner Neven Sidor, in charge of the architectural design said: “Any design for a major and complex public building needs to negotiate a journey from preliminary concept in the minds of a team of engineers and architects to a much more detailed set of technical drawings embraced by the teams of contractors that will build it.
“We are therefore pleased to announce that the original design vision has not only been maintained but has also been enhanced through the detailed design process. It is more robust, more efficient to build, and just as elegant.”