Laing O’Rourke to build HS2’s Solihull Interchange Station

Laing O’Rourke Delivery has won the contract to build HS2’s new Interchange Station in Solihull, close to Birmingham Airport and the NEC campus.

The £370m contract will see Laing O’Rourke work with HS2 in two stages to finalise the detailed design and then build the landmark HS2 Solihull Interchange station over the next few years.

The Arup designed station is central to extensive development plans around the site, led by the Urban Growth Company which will support 30,000 jobs, up to 3,000 new homes and 70,000m2 of commercial space.

These in turn form part of the UK Central Hub area plans for 70,000 jobs, 5,000 new homes and 650,000m2 of commercial space, generating £6.2bn GVA per year and bringing 1.3m people to within a 45-minute public transport commute of the station.

The construction site covers a triangle of land between the M42, A45 and A452. Substantial progress has already been made on the 150-hectare site, including the construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446 as part of a remodelled road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station.

HS2’s main works contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI is currently preparing the site where the station will be built.

The station has been designed to be net zero in operation, which is a key part of HS2’s strategy to reduce carbon and supports its ambition to build the most sustainable railway in the world.

It will be the first railway station globally to achieve the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification at the design stage, putting it in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials.

Features include maximising ventilation and natural daylight, a station roof design which can capture and reuse rainwater, and features to enable net zero carbon emissions from day-to-day energy consumption. Energy efficient technology will also be incorporated, such as air source heat pumps and LED lighting.

Alongside its sustainability credentials, the station will be one of the best-connected places in the UK, and passengers on the HS2 network will be able to reach London Euston in 38 minutes and Manchester in 37 minutes. The station features four platforms, as well as two central high speed through lines for non-stopping services.

Lee Holmes, HS2’s Stations Director said, “It’s fantastic to have Laing O’Rourke ready to build our new HS2 station in Solihull at the heart of the HS2 network. So far, we’ve worked with Arup to develop an award-winning, eco-friendly station, and now look forward to starting the next phase of design before construction starts next year.”