Cooperation agreement reached on Curzon Street utility works

The enabling work is needed for the planned Birmingham Eastside extension to serve the new HS2 Curzon Street Station on its proposed route to Digbeth.

HS2 and WMCA have developed joint plans to ensure the utility diversions needed around the new HS2 Curzon Street station don’t conflict with plans for the city’s tram extension. The utility diversions, being carried out by HS2’s enabling works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J Murphy & Sons Joint Venture) over the coming year form part of the preparation work for the station.

The plans will lay the foundations for the new route to serve the HS2 station as well as providing connections with New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill railway stations. The Birmingham Eastside Metro extension, along with a number of others, is being planned, designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

HS2’s project director for Curzon Street Station, Tom Wilne, said: “We’re extremely pleased to reach this agreement with WMCA, and will continue to work with them and our other partners, including Birmingham City Council, Transport for the West Midlands, Midland Metro Alliance and Network Rail to ensure that HS2 delivers additional benefits to Birmingham and the wider region.”

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said:  “This agreement with HS2 shows that we are preparing the ground to ensure we are ready to begin construction of our Eastside Metro extension in the New Year. This extension, which will run through Digbeth and the new HS2 Curzon Street Station, is not only part of our wider transport plan for the region, but it will also help create and protect jobs at a challenging time for our economy. The benefits to people both short and long-term will be immense, and it is critical we now press on with the construction.”

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