HS2 depot and control centre: TWA wins £856m deal

The HS2 depot and control centre will be built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The TWA joint venture will deliver the work. It is formed by Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure and Aureos Rail. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The project will redevelop a brownfield industrial site into a major business and logistics hub. More than 1,000 jobs are expected to be supported.

As the HS2 Media Centre reported, the contract is valued at around EUR 991 million (GBP 856 million). TWA will work with HS2 Ltd on the redevelopment. The work covers the 70-hectare former LDV and Metro-Cammell works site. The site is no longer in use.

Around 30 hectares of the site will be occupied by the new rolling stock maintenance depot. It will include a modern maintenance building and a train washing facility. It will also include an automatic vehicle inspection building. In addition, the depot will have sidings for overnight stabling of high-speed trains. The depot will also have a test track.

The same location will also house the Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC). Staff there will oversee train dispatching. They will also maintain communication with drivers and support the smooth operation of services.

Additional buildings will provide offices and facilities for drivers and cleaning teams. The remaining land will be used for commercial development, new green spaces and wildlife habitats. The redevelopment combines these elements on the same Washwood Heath site. They include the depot, control centre, commercial land, green spaces and wildlife habitats.

Meanwhile, Washwood Heath is among the most deprived areas in the United Kingdom. This is based on 2021 Census data. Around 77% of households there experience deprivation in at least one social or economic dimension.

The depot is expected to bring significant highly skilled employment opportunities to the site. Around 1,000 permanent roles are planned. About 500 temporary jobs are also expected during construction.

Thousands of jobs and economic growth

The contract award reflects the scale of work now moving forward on HS2. It also comes as the programme is being reset. The aim is more efficient delivery at the lowest reasonable cost. Mark Wild, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, is leading the restructuring. The restructuring is intended to deliver the remaining route efficiently. It also aims to keep costs at the lowest reasonable level.

Before the contract was awarded, Mark Wild reviewed HS2 Ltd’s readiness to proceed. An independent review panel also took part. Together, they assessed HS2 Ltd’s contract management capability. The assessment reflected lessons from the main civil engineering contracts. In addition, it drew on James Stewart’s review of HS2 governance. It also drew on experience from the Crossrail project.

Peter Hendy, UK 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 that will operate this modern facility for decades to come. Together, they will help deliver faster and more reliable rail journeys across the country,”

A recent study found that HS2 is already contributing to economic growth in the West Midlands. It estimated a £10 billion (EUR 11.6 billion) economic uplift. The uplift is expected around the project’s two major stations and the depot. The estimate covers the next ten years.

Washwood Heath site and project delivery

The Washwood Heath site sits next to the A47 Heartlands Parkway and the existing rail network. It was associated with railway manufacturing for more than 100 years. The site closed in 2005. Among the final trains built there were Pendolino trains. Avanti West Coast now uses them between London and Birmingham.

Under the contract, the TWA JV must work closely with HS2 Ltd. The TWA JV must also work closely with the rail operator. It must first complete the project requirements and design. Construction, testing and commissioning of the depot would follow.

The partners have experience delivering complex infrastructure schemes in the UK and Europe. Their previous work includes Kings Cross and Whitechapel stations. It also includes the Elizabeth Line depot and HS2’s Old Oak Common station. Together, they employ more than 3,000 people across the UK.

Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) is HS2’s construction partner in the West Midlands. It has already carried out substantial preparation work at Washwood Heath. Its teams have demolished unused industrial buildings. They have also remediated land affected by more than a century of heavy industrial activity. This prepared the area for construction to begin.

Along the northern boundary, BBV engineers recently finished a 750-metre retained cutting. This will allow trains leaving Birmingham to enter the Bromford Tunnel. Excavation of the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) tunnel was completed last year. Teams are now working on internal concrete structures and cross passages.

Progress is also being made on the western side of the site. There, BBV is building a series of viaducts. They will carry services into the new Curzon Street station in Birmingham city centre.

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