Birmingham based engineering specialist wins contract to build HS2 substructure

HS2’s Curzon Street Station contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV) is preparing for construction work to ramp up on Birmingham’s flagship station in 2025, with the first of a series of major contract awards.

Civil engineering specialist MPB Structures, with offices in Birmingham, have been awarded the contract to build the substructure foundations.

This work follows the piling operation currently being delivered by Keltbray to install 2,000 concrete piles to support the foundations for the station.

A team of around 140 people from MPB will start working on site from January 2025, building the complex substructure for the station.

The work includes removing 65,000m3 of earth, using around 17,000 cubic metres of concrete to install 417 pile caps, and over 4,700 tonnes of reinforcing steel to make the stations ground beams.

The team will also be waterproofing the new concrete structures, building the drainage network within and around the station, and also constructing the attenuation tanks to store rainwater that will be recycled for use within the station when it’s operational.

Dave Lock, HS2’s project client director for Curzon Street Station said: “This contract award marks the next stage of our construction programme to build the flagship Curzon Street Station, and we’re delighted to have MPB on board.

“Further contracts will be awarded in the coming months as we move towards starting on the main station structure next year.”

Patrick Boyle, board director and business owner of MPB Structures said: “We are delighted to have secured this prestigious contract on the Curzon Street Station build.

“Our business has a long and rich history of successfully delivering major projects for key clients across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.

“We are fully committed to this project and to the opportunity to support and deliver a significant social value proposition for MDJV and HS2.

“In addition to local employment, one of our main aspirations is to create work placements and workless jobs starts for local people building on other successes we have had in this arena coupled with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker’s ambition to create 20,000 jobs and opportunities within the region.”

Further contracts will be awarded over the coming months for the construction of the station ‘superstructure’.

These will involve building the station’s floor slab along with lift shafts, stairs and the columns to support the viaducts that will bring trains into the stations.

The viaducts themselves will be constructed from pre-cast concrete beams manufactured off-site to save time and space on site.

Following on from this, a further contract will be awarded for the station’s façade, walls and glazing.

The design of the station will be finalised over the next year, focusing on the details of features including the roof and the internal fit-out of the station.

Curzon Street Station is set to become a key destination and thriving departure point as part of Britain’s new high-speed railway.

It will provide excellent connectivity to Eastside and Digbeth, enabling wider regeneration by linking together the learning and creative quarters, new residential developments and the city centre.

The station will offer seamless connections to the local transport network including buses and the Midland Metro with a tram line running alongside and under the station. It will also create new public spaces, including two squares and a promenade.