Engineers working on the HS2 project have completed the final stage of the extensive piling works that will form the foundations of Birmingham’s new Curzon Street station, marking a major milestone in the construction of the high-speed railway’s city centre terminus.
More than 2,000 reinforced concrete piles have now been installed beneath the station footprint, creating the structural base for the new building which will stretch for more than 400 metres between Moor Street station and Millennium Point.
Once complete, Curzon Street will feature seven platforms beneath a vast arched roof inspired by Victorian railway architecture, creating a landmark gateway for the high-speed network.
The piling works began in September 2024 and were delivered by HS2’s construction partner Mace Dragados joint venture (MDJV), working alongside specialist contractor Keltbray. In total, 2,011 piles, each between 6 and 24 metres deep, have been driven into the ground to support the station structure.
HS2 Ltd’s Senior Project Manager, Alistair Morgan, said: “Once complete, Curzon Street will be a new landmark for Birmingham – and provide a fitting city centre terminus for a railway that will improve journeys and free up space on the existing West Coast Main Line. These new images also show how it will be integrated into the rest of the city – with new green spaces, better accessibility and onward public transport links.
“It’s great to see how much progress has been made on the foundation works and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been working so hard to get the job done. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do before the first passengers arrive, and I look forward to seeing more significant progress in the year ahead.”
Preparing the ground for a new city gateway
The construction phase required extensive enabling works, including the installation of an 8-metre retaining wall, excavation of 47,000 cubic metres of material, and the use of continuous flight auger (CFA) rigs to install the piles.
The works were briefly paused to allow Network Rail to carry out maintenance on the railway viaduct alongside the site before the final piles were installed in late February and early March 2026.
MDJV Senior Project Manager Rodger Storey said: “Completing the foundation works for Curzon Street station marks a major milestone in the delivery of the project. The team is proud of the major achievement represented the extensive piling operation that forms the station’s foundations.
“With this crucial phase now finished, we look forward to progressing the construction of the station building itself, which will create further jobs, apprenticeships, and supply chain opportunities as activity on site continues to ramp up.”
New public spaces and city connections
Alongside the construction milestone, HS2 has also released updated visualisations showing how the station will connect into Birmingham’s wider urban environment.
At the main entrance, passengers will arrive through a new paved station square facing Moor Street Queensway, bordered by landscaped gardens. A tree-lined promenade with terraces will run along the station building, while a second entrance will provide access towards Digbeth and the east side of the city.
The eastern entrance will include a tram stop, taxi drop-off points and improved cycling routes, with a new public square positioned beside the historic Old Curzon Street station building, which dates back to 1838.
Next stage of construction
With the piling complete, the focus now shifts to remaining foundation works and preparations for the West Midlands Metro Digbeth extension, which will run beneath the station along New Canal Street.
Sub-surface construction will require more than 19,000 tonnes of reinforced steel and 69,000 cubic metres of concrete, with 7,000 tonnes of steel and 29,000 cubic metres of concrete already installed.
Elsewhere in the area, progress is also continuing on the Curzon 2 viaduct, a 40-metre-high structure being delivered by Balfour Beatty VINCI. The viaduct will carry HS2 services into Birmingham city centre and is scheduled to be slid into position across the Cross City line later this summer.
At peak construction, more than 1,000 people are expected to be working on the Curzon Street site, contributing to the wider HS2 programme which currently supports more than 33,000 jobs across the UK supply chain.
HS2 recently marked another milestone by appointing its 2,000th apprentice, a 19-year-old from Bordesley Green in Birmingham.
Despite the progress, the project continues to undergo a wider review. HS2 Ltd Chief Executive Mark Wild is leading a comprehensive reset aimed at ensuring the remaining sections of the 140-mile route between London and Birmingham are delivered as efficiently as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost.
