Laing O’Rourke wins £370M HS2 Interchange station job

HS2 Ltd has awarded Laing O’Rourke the contract to build the high-speed rail line’s Interchange station at Solihull.

Laing beat out competition from Skanska and a JV between Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, supported by WSP, called Unity.

Following the £100M cost-hike announced last summer, the station construction will cost £370M and support around 1,000 jobs.

The contract will see the supplier work alongside HS2 Ltd in two stages. The first is to finalise the detailed designs and the second is the construction of the station, which will take place “over the next few years”.

The station, HS2’s first stop outside of London, will be in a 150ha space within a triangle formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Work is already underway at the site, with modular bridges over the M42 and A446 in place as part of a remodelled road network in the area to facilitate access the new station. HS2’s main works contractor BBV (Balfour Beatty Vinci JV) are working to prepare the area where the station will be built.

The Interchange station, designed by Arup and Churchman Thornhill Finch, will feature two 415m-long platform islands, meaning four platform faces. There will also be space for two central high-speed through lines for non-stopping services.

It has been dubbed “one of the world’s most sustainable railway stations” as it will be net zero in operation and will be the world’s first to achieve the BREEAM Outstanding certification – putting it among the top 1% of the UK’s most eco-friendly buildings. Features that will aid in its running net zero day-to-day include a roof that is designed to maximise natural daylight and capture rainwater for recycling, air-source heat pumps and LED lighting.

HS2 procurement and supply chain director Andrew Cubitt said: “Congratulations to Laing O’Rourke who will be awarded this significant HS2 contract, which will not only unlock many jobs and business opportunities in the Midlands, but also provide hundreds of supply chain contracts for companies right across the country.”

HS2 stations director Lee Holmes, said:

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