HS2 awards £856m contract for Washwood Heath

Around 175 acres of Birmingham brownfield is now set to become a major high-speed rail hub, after Taylor Woodrow and Aureos were chosen to build a rail logistics and operations centre in the city.

When completed, the planned control centre and rolling stock depot will become the operational heart of the HS2 project in Birmingham, built on the site of the former LDV and Metro-Cammell works in Washwood Heath, set to create around a thousand permanent jobs once open.

The £856m project will create a network control centre where operators for the high-speed network will manage remotely rail services on lines between Birmingham and London, while maintenance facilities and sidings where trains will be stored overnight will also be built as part of the contract.

The huge former Metro-Cammell rail yard in the north-east of the city has history of rail-building which dates back to the 19th century.

But the site was shuttered in 2005 by most recent owners Alstom, after a sharp decline in manufacturing during the 1990s which followed the privatisation of the country’s rail network.

Virgin’s Pendelino trains were among the last to be built at Washwood Heath just before its permanent closure in 2005, and the former factory buildings were demolished in 2019 to make way for the HS2 facility.

Phil Skegg, Managing Director of Taylor Woodrow said the firm was “extremely proud” to have been selected for the project.

“This is a landmark project of national importance and a clear endorsement of Taylor Woodrow’s expertise in delivering complex, safety‑critical rail and infrastructure schemes,” he said.

“We look forward to working closely with HS2 Ltd and our supply chain partners to create a world‑class depot that will play a vital role in the operation of Britain’s new high‑speed railway, while leaving a positive and lasting legacy for skills, employment and the local community.”

The next stage of the project will see the new joint venture finalise the requirements for the site and complete designs before building, testing and commissioning the depot.

Lord Hendy, Rail Minister said HS2 was now “driving growth” in the West Midlands, with around £10bn expected to be added to the region’s economy over the next decade, centred around the project’s two major stations and the new depot.

“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 who will operate this state-of-the-art facility for decades to come,” he said.

“HS2 continues to reach major milestones as we work to get the project back on track and unlock its full potential to drive economic growth, jobs, and homes across the country.”