Birmingham International Station design ambitions unveiled
Plans to transform Birmingham International Station ahead of HS2’s arrival have taken another step forward, after the key parties involved with the project agreed a crucial design stage.
The designs outline how the current 1970s building will be redeveloped into a new, 15,200 sq metres international gateway able to accommodate the 16 million passengers a year predicted to use the station within the next 20 years.
The designs also suggest how the station on the West Coast Mainline will bring existing rail together with future high speed rail, trams, buses, rapid transit, private vehicles, taxis, bicycles and an automated people mover, with seamless connections to Birmingham Airport, the NEC, HS2 Interchange Station and Birmingham Business Park.
Procurement of a design and build contractor is underway with an appointment expected in February. Construction work is programmed to start after the 2022 Commonwealth Games and be completed by 2026 and ahead of HS2’s arrival.
Known as ‘GRIP 3 Option Selection’, the design approval enables the project to now move to the next stage of design development.
The project is being led by the Urban Growth Company, the organisation set up by Solihull Council to coordinate and lead infrastructure investment at The UK Central Hub in Solihull.
The Hub comprises Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Jaguar Land Rover, Birmingham Business Park and Arden Cross, which will be a new mixed-use and residential development site with the HS2 Interchange Station at its centre.
The milestone completes a busy year for the UGC, which has seen significant progress across a number of important projects. The organisation signed a ‘Construction Framework Agreement’ with HS2 which sets out how work will be procured by HS2 Ltd on the region’s behalf.
