Milestone for HS2 as foundation work starts

Trains are expected to start using the station between 2029 and 2033

Work has started on drilling foundation columns for Birmingham's new HS2 station at Curzon Street.

It is hoped that high speed trains, almost halving the journey time between London and Birmingham, will begin to use the station in the mid 2030s.

The second phase of the route, between the West Midlands and Manchester, was scrapped by the former Conservative government last year.

The work to install 2,000 vertical concrete columns for the foundations has been described by officials as a critical milestone for the project.

Huw Edwards, stations executive director for HS2, told BBC Radio WM that the new station would be "an absolutely stunning building in the heart of Birmingham".

He added: "What is being built at Curzon is the first mainline terminus in a city centre for over 130 years", with Marylebone in London the last to be built in 1899.

He said part of the original Curzon Street station would be kept and the old ticket office refurbished.

"It's our responsibility to do something with that, that ties it to the new neighbourhood," he said.

He hoped in the next year or two that guided tours could happen inside the old building.

The railway was all about providing new rail connections that do not currently exist, capacity and carbon reduction by getting people "out of cars, off roads, onto trains", he added.

Up to 2,000 underground foundation columns will support the flagship Birmingham Curzon Street Station, officials said

Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker, who visited the site for the first time, said the work was "impressive" and a boon for the city.

"Even though it’ll take a few years to complete, we’re already seeing the benefits, with local businesses winning contracts and new jobs being created for people right across the region," he said.

“What’s really exciting is seeing so many young people, especially apprentices and trainees, getting hands-on experience in construction and engineering.

"This sets them up for great careers, and I’ll be pushing for even more opportunities for them."

Earlier this month, the transport secretary signalled the railway line would likely to be extended to London Euston, rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in west London.

Once complete, bosses say the journey time between London and Birmingham will be just over 49 minutes, with trains running north via the existing rail network to destinations such as Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.

It will provide "significantly more efficient and faster journeys" while relieving pressure on the most congested southern end of the West Coast Main Line, allowing more local and freight trains to operate.