Birmingham Curzon Street Station: Giant piling rigs start work on 2,000 concrete foundation columns

Work has started on the installation of 2,000 vertical concrete columns for the foundations of Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station - marking a critical milestone in the construction of HS2’s city centre rail hub.

The majority of the piles on the 100,000 square metre site will support the new station building and platforms above, with a smaller number of interlocking piles used to create the main walls of the Station basement which will house operational facilities. 

The work is being led by HS2’s contractor Mace Dragados Joint Venture, with support from companies including UK engineering specialist Keltbray. A team of 80 people are delivering the foundations work using three 95 tonne, 30-metre-tall piling rigs on the site.

Curzon Street Station is set to become a key destination and thriving departure point as part of Britain’s new high-speed railway. It will provide excellent connectivity to Eastside and Digbeth, enabling wider regeneration by linking together the learning and creative quarters, new residential developments and the city centre.

The station will offer seamless connections to the local transport network including buses and the Midland Metro with a tram line running alongside and under the station. It will also create new public spaces, including two squares and a promenade.

Piling is planned to be completed by mid-2025, with the installation of further foundations on top of the piling starting next year. The design of the station will also be finalised over the next year, focusing on the details of features including the roof and the internal fit-out of the station.