Mace Dragados Joint Venture, the construction partner for High Speed Two's (HS2) Curzon Street Station in Birmingham, England, has awarded a substructure foundations contract to MPB Structures, a civil engineering specialist.

This contract represents the inaugural step in a series of contracts to be awarded in the coming months to ramp up the construction of the railway station’s superstructure.

MPB Structures will take on the task of constructing the complex substructure for the station.

The scope of work involves excavating 65,000m³ of earth and utilising approximately 17,000m³ of concrete for the installation of 417 pile caps.

Additionally, the team will incorporate more than 4,700 tonnes (t) of reinforcing steel to form the station's ground beams.

The groundwork for this project is already underway, with Keltbray, a construction engineering specialist, currently installing 2,000 concrete piles to support the station's foundations.

The work will also include waterproofing new concrete structures, establishing a drainage network, and constructing attenuation tanks for rainwater recycling.

HS2 Curzon Street Station project client director Dave Lock said: “This contract award marks the next stage of our construction programme to build the flagship Curzon Street Station, and we’re delighted to have MPB on board. Further contracts will be awarded in the coming months as we move towards starting on the main station structure next year.”

The station's design, including the roof and internal fit-out, will be finalised over the next year, with a strong emphasis on detail.

The Curzon Street Station is poised to become a central hub for Britain's new high-speed railway.

It will enhance connectivity to Eastside and Digbeth, fostering regeneration and linking educational, creative, residential, and city centre areas.

The station will also offer local transport connections, including buses and the Midland Metro, and introduce new public spaces such as squares and a promenade.