Latest news

Over the past few months, we have introduced a number of improvements to the HS2 website and how we share information with you. As part of this work, we have now moved the contents of the HS2 in Birmingham website to the In your area section of the HS2 website.

We will continue to provide local webpages and publish information about the progress of the railway in your area.

We have also published local community landing pages for each section of the route. These provide information about the HS2 route within each area.

We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from us and haven't already registered, please sign up directly at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it. Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter .

We will no longer use this platform or Commonplace to publish information or issue emails to you. This website has now been archived. You can still access the materials that were originally available on this website by visiting the HS2 in Birmingham overview page .

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

In order to reduce the amount of emails that you receive, please find below a number of notifications covering roads within Birmingham that may impact you when travelling around the City.

Upcoming Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys

We will be carrying out Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys in locations along Lawley Middleway, Garrison Lane, Watery Lane Middleway and Great Barr Street from Tuesday 24 August to Friday 3 September excluding weekends. Dates are subject to the progress of the surveys programme.

GPR surveys are non-intrusive, they are completed using a machine which transmits an electromagnetic pulse into the ground. These pulses reflect off features in the ground, allowing us to identify the location and depth of buried utility services.

For more information please see the following notification: https://www.hs2.org.uk/work-items/notice-of-gpr-surveys-lawley-middleway-and-surrounding-roads/

Upcoming utility surveys

We will be carrying out utility trial hole surveys in locations along sections of Aston Church Road, Warren Road and Chartist Road between Monday 23 August and Thursday 26 August, dates are subject to the progress of the surveys programme.

To complete the utility trial hole inspections, we will use a vacuum excavator, which uses compressed air to loosen or agitate the ground. The loosened material is then removed using the vacuum on the machine creating a hole. At times we will also use hand digging tools to excavate the trial holes. Once the surveys are carried out, we will backfill and reinstate all the trial holes.

These surveys will help us to plan where utility diversions will be required as we prepare to construct the railway in Birmingham.

Overnight road closure and temporary traffic lights

To be able to carry out these inspections safely and effectively, we will need to put in place temporary traffic lights on sections of Aston Church Road, Chartist Road and Warren Road on 23 and 24 August.

We will also need to put in place an overnight road closure with a diversion route along a section of Aston Church Road on 25 and 26 August.

The temporary lights will be operational from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The road closure with diversion route will be operational from 9:00pm to 5:00am. Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times.

For more information please see the following notification: https://www.hs2.org.uk/work-items/notice-of-utility-surveys-aston-church-road-warren-road-and-chartist-road/

Join the HS2 mailing list to continue to receive updates from HS2 about the project

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list. We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter.

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

As part of our ongoing pledge to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you .

This is a reminder that we're moving your local website within the HS2 website.

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

We have published local community landing pages for each section of the route between London, the West Midlands and Crewe. These provide information about the HS2 route within each area. Over the coming weeks we will be adding further pages and information to each area.

We are now in the final stages of this transition which is expected to be completed by mid-August, however we will write to you again to confirm this nearer the time.

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter .

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Ahead of its arrival into Birmingham, the team leading the design and construction of Britain’s new railway, High Speed Two (HS2), is hitting the streets with a brand-new community roadshow .

The HS2 roadshow will visit towns and cities from north to south this summer, as part of a bumper programme of community-focused activity highlighting the thousands of jobs, skills, training and new business opportunities that HS2 is creating.

HS2’s roadshow will make three stops in Birmingham and the team is proud to be supporting two of the city’s annual event highlights as part of its tour. The events will allow residents and visitors to find out more about the plans already underway to bring Britain’s new low carbon railway to the second city.

HS2 has set itself ambitious targets to bring local people and underrepresented groups into employment, whilst simultaneously creating opportunities for small and medium-sized companies in the local area to grow. To help achieve its aim, HS2 is teaming up with Birmingham-based SME Legacy Consultants to bolster its engagement with young people and BAME communities right across the city.

Experts from all areas of the HS2 project will be on hand at each roadshow event, armed with a wealth of resources to experience during the event or to take away. So, if you’re looking for a new career, or want to find out how your business might benefit from one of 400,000 contract opportunities generated from the first phase of construction works, then head down to the roadshow to find out more.

For more information about HS2’s roadshow programme, visit hs2.org.uk/roadshow-2021

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

This is a reminder that as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you and are moving your local website within the HS2 website.

The contents of this website will be moving over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website, and we are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project to give you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

There are local community landing pages which have been published for each section of the route between London, the West Midlands and Crewe, providing information about the HS2 route within each area. We will be adding further pages and information to each area in the coming weeks.

We are now in the final stages of this transition which is expected to be completed by mid-August, however, we will write to you again to confirm this nearer the time.

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter .

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We would like to invite you to one-to-one virtual meetings which will be available for both the Washwood Heath and Saltley areas of Birmingham .

These online one-to-one meetings are an opportunity for you to find out more about HS2, what it means for your local area and have your questions answered.

The virtual one-to-one meeting for the Washwood Heath area will take place on:

During a 20-minute slot you will be able to talk with the team from HS2 & BBV about the construction plans for the Washwood Heath area.

The virtual one-to-one meeting for the Saltley area will take place on:

During a 20-minute slot you will be able to talk with the team from HS2 & BBV about the construction plans for the Saltley area.

These one-to-ones will be undertaken on Microsoft Teams Meetings and once registered for your chosen slot, we will send you ‘Join Microsoft Teams Meeting’ link to join your meeting by laptop or mobile device.

Registration for these slots will close 2 hours before the start of the meeting to allow us to send you dial in details ahead of your appointment.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

To mark the Council for British Archaeology's Festival of Archaeology , we are holding a series of free online events so you can get involved and find out more about what treasures are being unearthed as we build the country's new high speed railway. The Festival of Archaeology runs from July 17 - August 1, shining a light on our past and how our ancestors lived.

Subjects we will be covering in the free online 'webinars' include:

We will also be holding our fourth weekend of open days at our Field Museum at St Mary's Church in Stoke Mandeville on Saturday 24 July and Sunday 25 July.

Inside a specially constructed tent the size of a football pitch, archaeologists working on our behalf are currently excavating the remains of the former parish church of St. Mary the Virgin. This is a once in a generation opportunity to excavate the ruins of a medieval church and churchyard. Inside the museum you can ascend the viewing platform for a bird’s eye view of ongoing excavations, as well as displays, films and finds to explore the history of St. Mary’s Church and the amazing archaeological discoveries in the surrounding area.

We’d love to welcome you onto site to explore this fascinating excavation, where you can learn about life and death in Stoke Mandeville over more than 800 years.

Tickets are available to book from 10am on Tuesday July 13 and booking will close at 5pm on Thursday July 22 .

Detailed joining instructions including our Health and Safety statement will be sent to all registered attendees closer to the time.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We need to postpone the planned utility trial hole surveys along a section of Curzon Street that were due to take place on Friday 9 July. These surveys will now take place on Wednesday 14 July, dates are subject to the progress of the surveys programme.

To complete the utility trial hole inspections, we will use a vacuum excavator, which uses compressed air to loosen or agitate the ground. The loosened material is then removed using the vacuum on the machine creating a hole. At times we will also use hand digging tools to excavate the trial holes. Once the surveys are carried out, we will backfill and reinstate all the trial holes.

These surveys will help us to plan where utility diversions will be required as we prepare to construct the railway in Birmingham.

To be able to carry out these inspections safely and effectively, we will need to put in place manned stop and go boards along sections of Curzon Street. The stop and go boards will be operational from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times.

For more information please see this Notification - Postponed Curzon Trial Holes July 21

Our utility trial hole surveys due to take place on Friday 2 July in locations along Aston Church Road were postponed and will now take place on Monday 19 July, dates are subject to the progress of the surveys programme.

To complete the utility trial hole inspections, we will use a vacuum excavator, which uses compressed air to loosen or agitate the ground. The loosened material is then removed using the vacuum on the machine creating a hole. At times we will also use hand digging tools to excavate the trial holes. Once the surveys are carried out, we will backfill and reinstate all the trial holes.

These surveys will help us to plan where utility diversions will be required as we prepare to construct the railway in Birmingham.

For more information please see this Notification - Rescheduled Aston Church Road Trial Holes July 21

On Monday 26 July to Wednesday 28 July we will be carrying out a series of drainage inspections on Aston Church Road. All dates are subject to the progress of the inspections.

Drainage inspections are non-intrusive surveys, which means that the inspection will only consider that which is visible and accessible. An operative will lift the manhole cover, use a sewer camera to examine the underground pipes and replace the cover.

These surveys will help us to plan where utility diversions will be required as we prepare to construct the railway in Birmingham.

To be able to carry out these inspections safely and effectively, we will need to put in place temporary traffic lights in locations along Aston Church Road. The locations of the traffic lights will change as we carry out drainage inspections along different sections of the road. Access to residential properties and other buildings will be maintained at all times.

Please follow this link to read the notification - Notice of drainage inspections Aston Church Road

When the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, four new highways bridges will connect the current road network to new routes we are creating as part of the station site. The first two new highway bridges were safely installed in 2020 over the M42 and the A452 and A446, by our enabling works contractor, LM, in collaboration with Highways England .

The next instalment of our Building HS2’s West Midlands Stations series looks at LM’s construction methodology, the challenges faced by the construction team and Highways England in installing the bridges over some of the UKs busiest roads, and how they achieved the bridge installations ahead of schedule.

The webinar will take place on:

You will be able to ask the team from HS2, LM and Highways England questions via a live Q&A chat.

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what we are doing through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

This is the fourth in a series of webinars focussing on Building HS2’s West Midlands Stations. The next webinar will be held in early autumn. Please keep

As part of our extensive environmental programme, our contractors have now planted 700,000 trees and created over 100 wildlife sites along the route between the West Midlands and London .

The wildlife sites represent a mix of different habitat types, including grassland, woodland, scrub and ponds, and are already havens for wildlife including birds, bats, barn owls, badgers, great crested newts, butterflies and dragonflies.

Alongside our environmental contractors, we have designed tailored ecology plans that provide habitats for local wildlife and protected species including new badger setts, bat houses, bird boxes, reptile banks and bug houses, along with wildflower seeding, aquatic habitat creation and the reintroduction of native flora to help local wildlife populations thrive.

Up to 7 million trees will eventually be planted alongside the line from the West Midlands to London and we will leave behind more than 33 square kilometres of new woodland, wildlife and river habitats - the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

In addition, our Woodland Fund has also allocated over £1.2m as part of a grant scheme managed by the Forestry Commission, with 213,000 trees already planted including 92 hectares of new woodland creation and 52 hectares of ancient woodland restoration. For example, a project at Avon Wood in Warwickshire has created a diverse new 11-hectare woodland within three miles of the new railway. More than 18,000 new trees have been planted there, with 30% of the woodland being oak, with the rest mainly made up of hornbeam, alder, beech, lime, holly and birch.

We are continuing to progress with potential new schemes to be supported through the Woodland Fund, which could eventually support an additional 440 hectares of new native woodland creation as well as the restoration of 245 hectares of existing ancient woodland sites. Every habitat site is designed specifically to support local biodiversity, to link up existing wildlife habitats and create ecological networks which help to protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity and allow species to move through the landscape.

Examples of new habitats sites include:

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

As part of our ongoing pledge to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we are introducing a number of improvements to how we share information with you .

This is a reminder that we're moving your local website within the HS2 website

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

We have published local community landing pages for each section of the route between London, the West Midlands and Crewe. These provide information about the HS2 route within each area. Over the coming weeks we will be adding further pages and information to each area.

We are aiming to complete this exercise next month (July) and will write to you again to confirm this nearer the time.

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter .

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

There is just one week to go before voting closes in the national competition to name our third Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which will dig a one-mile twin bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire. Visit www.hs2.org.uk/tbmvoting to cast your vote by June 30 .

Long Itchington Wood Tunnel north portal site

More than 180 entries submitted by people in Warwickshire, asked to nominate the names of women closely associated with the county, were whittled down to a shortlist of three. The three candidates are:

Anne - named after Anne Hathaway, who was the wife of the country’s most famous playwright William Shakespeare. She was born in 1556 and her childhood home nearby in Stratford-upon-Avon was bought by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1892 and turned into a museum. Anne was suggested by a Nuneaton resident.

Dorothy - named after Dorothy Hodgkin, who in 1964 became the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Her discoveries included confirming the structure of penicillin, and her work with insulin paved the way for it to be used on a large scale for treatment of diabetes. She died in 1994 in Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. Dorothy was suggested by a student at Warwickshire College Group.

Mary Ann - named after Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, who was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She was born in Nuneaton and her novels, most famously 'Middlemarch', are celebrated for their realism and psychological insights. A North Leamington School pupil suggested Mary Ann.

We are planning to reveal the winning name later this year.

The Long Itchington Wood TBM will begin tunnelling later this year. Operated by our main works contractor Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), the 2,000-tonne machine will take around five months to complete the first bore of two parallel tunnels. The Long Itchington Wood tunnel means that the ancient woodland above the tunnelling works will not be disturbed and the final section will be a ‘green tunnel' with a soil ‘roof’ built around the tunnel entrance to blend the portal into the natural landscape.

This is the third TBM put to a public naming vote. Our first two machines, Florence and Cecilia, are already tunnelling under the Chilterns and were named after famous local Buckinghamshire women: Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, spent many years living in the county, while Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, a pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, was born in Buckinghamshire.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We have today launched a national vote to name our third Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which is set to create a one-mile twin bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire .

Long Itchington Wood Tunnel north portal site aerial view

Three names have been shortlisted from over 180 entries submitted by people in Warwickshire, who were asked to nominate the names of women closely associated with the county. The vote is now open, with the online competition running until the end of June . The names are:

Anne - named after Anne Hathaway, who was the wife of the country’s most famous playwright William Shakespeare. She was born in 1556 and her childhood home nearby in Stratford-upon-Avon was bought by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1892 and turned into a museum. Anne was suggested by a Nuneaton resident.

Dorothy - named after Dorothy Hodgkin, who in 1964 became the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Her discoveries included confirming the structure of penicillin, and her work with insulin paved the way for it to be used on a large scale for treatment of diabetes. She died in 1994 in Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. Dorothy was suggested by a student at Warwickshire College Group.

Mary Ann - named after Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, who was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She was born in Nuneaton and her novels, most famously 'Middlemarch', are celebrated for their realism and psychological insights. A North Leamington School pupil suggested Mary Ann.

The Long Itchington Wood TBM will begin tunnelling later this year and be operated by our main works contractor for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV). The 2,000-tonne TBM, manufactured in Germany by Herrenknecht, will be around 10 metres wide and will take about five months to complete the first bore of two parallel tunnels.

The Long Itchington Wood tunnel avoids disrupting the ancient woodland located above the tunnelling works. Once the first bore is complete, the TBM will be extracted at the South Portal before being transported by road back to the North Portal to commence the second bore. The final section will become a ‘green tunnel’ - also known as a cut and cover tunnel - where a soil ‘roof’ is built around the tunnel entrance to integrate the portal into the natural landscape.

This is the third of our TBMs that will be put to a public vote to name it, with the first two machines already tunnelling under the Chilterns. They were named after two famous local Buckinghamshire women: Florence Nightingale - the founder of modern nursing who spent many years living in Buckinghamshire; and pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who was born in Buckinghamshire.

The national vote will close at the end of June, with the winner expected to be announced later in the summer.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

This is a reminder that as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project, we will be introducing a number of improvements to the ways in which we share information with you .

We’re moving your local website within the HS2 website

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

We have published local community landing pages for each section of the route between London, the West Midlands and Crewe. These provide information about the HS2 route within each area. Over the coming weeks we will be adding further pages and information to each area.

We are aiming to complete this exercise in July this year and will write to you to confirm this closer to the time.

We’re asking you to sign up for notifications to continue to receive updates from HS2

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe in our Personal information charter .

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Balfour Beatty VINCI, our construction partner for the West Midlands section of Britain’s new high speed railway, is working in partnership with Birmingham City University to support its graduates into employment.

Birmingham City University’s (BCU) City Centre Campus is at the heart of the Eastside district and adjacent to the Curzon Street site which will be home to our flagship terminus station. Europe’s biggest engineering project is spearheading major regeneration programmes right across Eastside, which will breathe a new lease of life into the district and make it an even more attractive proposition for future alumni when choosing where to live, work and study.

The partnership with Balfour Beatty VINCI will add a new dimension to the unique offer that BCU already provides for more than 26,900 students from around 100 countries. With a shared ambition to see future talent flourish and progress into meaningful employment, the two organisations have joined forces in a bid to ensure that graduates benefit from upcoming career opportunities linked to the construction and delivery of the railway.

Recognising the strength of the local talent pool that BCU is creating, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s dedicated skills and communities team is actively engaging with the University to encourage graduates to apply for upcoming vacancies which align to their specialist subject areas.

Although in its infancy, the new partnership model has already led to five BCU graduates securing direct employment with Balfour Beatty VINCI on HS2. A further four graduates have benefitted from work placements, one has received a direct referral onto Balfour Beatty VINCI’s graduate programme and two have been offered Kickstart placements.

Once operational, the new railway will put more students within reach of BCU’s state-of-the-art facilities, which are currently benefitting from a £340 million investment. Journey times from Leeds, London and Manchester will all be slashed to under an hour, providing students north and south with better access to its quality, student-focused education.

Find out more information about careers and opportunities with HS2 and within our supply chain .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We have today launched the search for a construction contractor to build Interchange Station. Bidders are asked to put themselves forward for the £370m contract which could support up to 1,000 jobs at the peak of construction, as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs.

Interchange Station will be one of the best connected stations on the new high speed network in the Midlands, and is set to pave the way for huge growth plans around the site being led by the Urban Growth Company that will support 30,000 jobs, up to 3,000 new homes and 70,000m2 of commercial space.

These will 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.

It is the first railway station globally to achieve the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification at the design stage – a measure of sustainability for new and refurbished buildings – putting it in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials. This recognises the station’s eco-friendly features, including maximising natural daylight and ventilation, a 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.

The construction site for the station covers an area of 150 hectares, and is located within a triangle of land formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Work so far has included construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446, and remodelling of the road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station.

There will be up to five trains per hour passing through the brand new station in both directions, with an estimated total of 175,000 seats per day, making this one of the best connected transport interchanges in the country and a new gateway to the UK.

The tender shortlist for the contract will be announced later this year and the contract awarded in 2022.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

During the first week of Birmingham City Council's soft launch of their new Clean Air Zone, HS2's latest video shows how the project’s new low-carbon technology will support cleaner construction and air for the city.

HS2 is going way beyond requirements to lower carbon and emissions on its construction sites, and with HS2’s Curzon Street Station site in the city centre, the project confirms that the use of the latest, cleanest technology will lower emissions, protecting the environment and keeping people safe.

A whole range of innovations are being introduced to cut emissions and improve local air quality, not just in Birmingham but right across the project. These include hybrid, zero emissions machinery, renewable energy, alternative fuels and recycled products.

In addition, HS2 is leading a series of ground-breaking trials in conjunction with academia and its supply chain, set to bring massive improvements in local air quality and welfare conditions for construction site workers, with wider positive public health and environmental benefits for communities.

The project has set standards for the use of the lowest emitting vehicle engines across all contractors, as well as set targets for contractors to go beyond these, as technology improves. In addition, the project has also set industry leading emissions standards for all machinery including excavators, dumpers, large cranes and piling machines.

In 2017, road traffic accounted for 91% of transport emissions. In the same year cars, taxis and light vans were responsible for 70% of road transport emissions. By moving high speed trains on to a new, dedicated intercity line, HS2 will free up space on the existing rail network to run more local and regional commuter trains.

With more reliable, local frequent stopping services available, people will be able to make the shift from road to rail and cut their carbon footprint. This will help to reduce emissions from road transport, reduce congestion and improve the quality of our air.

For more information, visit HS2's air quality webpage or if you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities informed about the planning and delivery of the HS2 project we are introducing a number of improvements to the ways in which we share information with you.

This summer we will be moving the contents of this website over to the 'In your area' section of the main HS2 website. We are also changing the way that we issue email updates about the project and giving you more choice about how you would like to receive information from us.

These changes will help to

We have published local community landing pages for each section of the route between London, the West Midlands and Crewe. These provide information about the HS2 route within each area. Over the coming weeks we will be adding further pages and information to each area.

Once we have moved all of the key pages and information from this website onto the HS2 website later this summer, we will stop updating this website. Visitors to this website will be signposted to the new pages within HS2.org.uk

At this point, we will stop publishing updates to this website and you will no longer receive email notifications from this website.

We are aiming to complete this exercise in July this year and will write to you to confirm this closer to the time.

In addition to moving the local website we are also taking this opportunity to improve our mailing lists and create greater flexibility around how you receive information from us.

We will no longer be using this website or Commonplace to issue email updates to you. Instead, we are asking that you sign up to receive information from HS2 directly. We will continue to produce regular updates about the project, including notifications of our upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what we’re doing to make it less disruptive.

If you would like to continue to receive updates from HS2 you can sign up for email notifications at engagement.hs2.org.uk/join-mailing-list . We will ask you to confirm your email address as part of the sign-up process.

Once we have moved across all of the pages and information from this website over to the HS2 website we will stop issuing emails from this website. Instead, you will receive emails directly from us about the parts of the project that you’ve expressed an interest in.

The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with current data protection legislation and only used for the purposes for which you have provided it.

Find out more about what we will do to keep your information safe on our Personal information charter .

If you have any questions about these changes or would like some help signing up to receive email updates from us please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team, available all day, every day on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

Severn Trent is currently assessing how the new railway will affect the water and sewer network and will need to undertake survey work on the existing Sewer off Langley Drive.

The work may generate a small amount of noise and dust, but we’ll do our best to keep this to an absolute minimum.

Severn Trent need to undertake work on the existing watermain where buildings it supplied have been demolished.

The work will involve excavating a hole to expose the watermain and cutting the pipe to fit a new hydrant and then abandon the length of pipe that is no longer needed.

Severn Trent need to undertake work on the existing water mains where buildings they supplied have been demolished.

The work will involve excavating holes to expose the water mains and cutting the pipe to fit a new hydrant and abandoning the length of pipe that is no longer needed. Holes will also be dug at the end of each water main to remove the existing hydrants.

Having assessed how the new railway will affect the water and sewer network, Severn Trent will need to carry out sewer diversion work at the location of Erskine Street running adjacent to the River Rea.

All works will be in a secured area and an increase in construction traffic during the full extent of the works is to be expected to take place between June 2021 to April 2022.

We will do everything to keep noise and dust down to a minimum during the construction of the sewer diversion.

HS2 Ltd and HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson MP have confirmed that over 1,000 jobs – including an estimated 100 new entrant roles and 100 new apprenticeship positions and Restart scheme opportunities for unemployed people – will be created by the joint venture that will build our landmark station in the centre of Birmingham, helping the UK to Build Back Better after the pandemic .

HS2 Minister at the Curzon Street station site to mark the contract award

We have formally signed the station contract with Mace Dragados, signalling the start of a project that will bring significant jobs and skills opportunities for people in the West Midlands region. A wide range of jobs will be supported, with the contract also opening up opportunities for supply chain companies in the region, with 40% of project spend set to go towards SMEs.

The signing took place during a unique Cleaner Construction Showcase held at the Curzon Street Station site by our early works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons Joint Venture), demonstrating how emission-free machinery will change the future of the construction industry and help cut carbon emissions on the Curzon Street site, particularly with the city soon to introduce a Clean Air Zone.

The station is set to reduce carbon emissions by 55%, will achieve net zero carbon emissions from regulated energy consumption and use a range of technologies to generate energy from renewable sources. The design has achieved the BREEAM Excellent rating, which is an industry recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste, and minimise impact on the natural environment.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

A Birmingham-based training provider is among the growing number of West Midlands businesses to win work supporting the delivery of Britain’s new low carbon railway .

Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), our construction partner for the West Midlands, has signed a five-year contract with Aston-based Auctus Management Group (AMG). The £2m contract award will see AMG deliver bespoke induction training programmes for new starters who will support the construction and delivery of the West Midlands section of Britain’s new railway.

When main construction works began in September 2020, BBV confirmed that it expected to be one of the biggest recruiters in the region over the next two years, with around 7,000 skilled jobs required to complete its section of the route. Over 2,000 businesses have won work on the project to date, including over 300 in the West Midlands, with UK-based businesses making up 97% of contracts.

AMG was established in 2012 and currently employs over 150 staff at its Gee Business Centre headquarters. It delivers safety critical training, inductions, assessment and certification solutions to the UK’s rail and construction sectors and has a recognised history of supporting major infrastructure projects. Its group members, RSS Infrastructure and INFRA Skills, have played an integral role in training staff to deliver Hinkley Point C and Midland Metro Alliance.

The five-year contract award from Balfour Beatty VINCI comes at a critical time as businesses across the region strive to recover from the effects of the pandemic. The contract has enabled AMG to create six brand new roles within the team, provide more job certainty for existing staff during the pandemic and plan ahead for the expansion of its induction team. It has benefitted local businesses too, with specialist local suppliers brough in to refurbish its induction suite and install state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment to enhance the overall learning experience.

HS2 Ltd has already awarded around £18bn worth of contracts, with a significant proportion of this value expected to flow out to the wider supply chain. By the end of 2022, it’s estimated this figure will reach around £25bn.

Find out more information about joining HS2’s supply chain

Find more details of career opportunities with HS2 and its construction partners

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We have today announced the launch of ‘Florence’ – the first of 10 HS2 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnel on Phase One of the UK’s new high speed railway. ‘Florence’ was launched from our South Portal site next to the M25 in Hertfordshire, at an event attended by HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson .

Florence, at 2,000 tonnes and 170m-long – the largest ever used on a UK rail project – will dig 10 miles of tunnel under the Chilterns, operating 24/7 for the next three years. Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, Florence and her identical TBM 'Cecilia'will dig separate tunnels for north and southbound trains. Each machine operates as a self-contained underground factory - digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place at a speed of around 15 metres a day. Each tunnel will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced segments – which will all be made on site.

A crew of 17 people will operate each TBM, working in shifts to keep the machines running 24/7. They will be supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation. Chalk excavated from the tunnels will be used for landscaping at the south portal site once construction is complete, creating wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats across 127 hectares of the southern Chiltern hills. Find out more about HS2's tunnelling programme .

Named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale – a name suggested by local children due to her residence at nearby Claydon House in Buckinghamshire, and chosen in a public vote – the TBM will dig the first of a pair of 10 mile long tunnels under the Chiltern hills and help to safeguard the woodland and wildlife habitats above ground, before emerging near Hyde Heath. A second machine ‘Cecilia’ will launch next month to excavate the second tunnel at the South Portal site.

Built by Herrenknecht, a world leader in TBM manufacturing, at its factory in south-west Germany, the two 170m long machines were transported to the UK in more than 300 separate shipments last year , before being reassembled, tested and commissioned by an expert team of tunnelling engineers at the Chiltern tunnel south portal site, near the M25 to the north-west of London.

The first two TBMs will be operated by main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of three international infrastructure companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Align is recruiting 1,200 personnel in total, including 100 apprentices, to work on this area of the project and are targeting their recruitment and investment in upskilling local people who are currently unemployed, with a particular focus on women, the under 25s and those with disabilities, helping us support the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs to protect, support and create employment during the COVID-19 crisis.

More than 16,000 jobs and over 500 apprenticeships are already being supported by the project, which is set to transform transport links between Britain’s major cities, free up space on the rail network for more freight and local services and support the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions.

The names of the two TBMs were suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon and The Chalfonts Community College, Buckinghamshire, which are close to the tunnel launch site. They were inspired by Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern medicine, and pioneering astronomer and astrophysicist, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

Some facts and figures about the Chiltern tunnel TBMs :

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We would like to invite you to sign up to our virtual community drop-ins for the Washwood Heath, Curzon Street and Saltley areas .

Our surgery-style virtual drop-ins are an opportunity for you to find out more about HS2, what it means for the local area and have your questions answered.

You can book a 20-minute slot to talk with the team from HS2 and our contractors LM, and BBV.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

Our dedicated education pages on the HS2 website have undergone a major redesign, with a collection of new resources to help teachers bring a careers context to curriculum learning with the aim of inspiring young people to take an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects and careers .

Teachers are able to find relevant resources much more easily through the introduction of a filter function, there are new resources available with supporting videos and also a workshop delivery guide with activities tailored to pupils ranging from the ages of 5 all the way up to 18.

The fresh look of the educational resources follows on from the introduction earlier this year of a suite of curriculum-linked projects designed to help teachers and parents home schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic when we were unable to deliver our regular programme of STEM workshops and schools were less able to take students 'off-curriculum' for career-themed activities during lockdown.

Created by our Skills, Employment and Education team, the resource pages include plans for STEM lessons which teachers can use to introduce a careers context to regular curriculum lessons. Activities take around 1-2 hours to complete and include using maths skills to work out how to construct a bridge across a motorway, researching the ecology of great created newts to create new habitats and using archaeological information to interpret the history of a site. Pupils also have the opportunity to design a new product to improve the customer experience when travelling by train and use their science skills to create an environmental improvement plan for their school.

We have also included a delivery guide for teachers who would like to run a STEM inspiration day in their school. This includes videos, teacher notes, presentations and worksheets for activities where students can develop their skills through hands-on and team build challenges to inspire them to become EPIC (Extraordinary People Initiating Change) engineers. Students develop their STEM powers, exploring the essential skills that are needed to be successful in a STEM career. Activities are underpinned by examples from the world of work, with students finding out about careers in transport infrastructure as they take on different roles in the challenges.

Activities include 'Stations of the Future': a team-based design-and-present activity where students compete to design a futuristic train station considering future trends and the needs of all customers and also tunnel building, where students design, construct and test a supporting structure for a cut and cover tunnel.

We have also introduced STEM projects accredited by the British Science Association, which, when completed, can be entered for a CREST Award. These are longer projects aimed at inspiring pupils to become scientists and engineers that encourage students to carry out independent research or investigation. The target age and duration of the projects vary.

The updated online resources also include activities adapted for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to encourage them to think about pursuing STEM careers. Downloadable lessons for SEND students include working in teams to design a train station, learning about ecosystems and building an insect hotel, and preparing for independent rail travel through role play.

Younger students aged between 7-11 can also get involved in shorter activities ranging from making rail tracks from everyday materials, solving puzzles and planning a railway route.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We have today confirmed that a team made up of Mace and Dragados will build Birmingham’s new city centre high speed railway station, in a deal that is set to further boost the West Midlands economy .

The deal, which is worth up to £570m, will see Mace Dragados work with us in two stages to finalise the detailed design and then build the landmark station.

The station itself will be net zero carbon in operation and adopt the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies, including capturing rainwater and utilising sustainable power generation, with over 2,800m2 of solar panels located on platform canopies.

It is designed to meet a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard, which is an industry recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste and minimise their impact on the natural environment. The station will also play a vital role in the long-term economic future of the West Midlands, creating hundreds of jobs during construction and boosting the region after the pandemic.

Mace and Dragados have a strong track record delivering some of the world’s most complex and exciting infrastructure projects, including the refurbishment of Birmingham New Street, Battersea Power Station (phase 2) and work on delivering the Spanish high speed rail network, including the major new Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants stations. They are also working together in a separate joint venture delivering our London terminus at Euston.

We have worked with WSP and Grimshaw Architects LLP on the design for Curzon Street, which is inspired by the great arched roofs built by the Victorian railway pioneers. The design takes that inspiration into the 21st Century, ensuring accessibility and a focus on the open space and landscaping around it.

Passengers will also be to access up to nine high speed trains an hour travelling north and south, and the Midland Metro - which runs alongside and underneath the station. Accessible pedestrian routes will connect to local bus services, Sprint rapid transit bus services and local rail services from the neighbouring Moor Street station. Cycle parking has also been incorporated, providing space for more than 550 bicycles.

Significant progress has already been made on site at Curzon Street. Site clearance is now complete and a massive archaeological programme, involving 70 archaeologists, has unearthed the world’s oldest railway roundhouse.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Western Power Distribution (WPD) will be undertaking trial holes on Duddeston Mill Road at the entrance to Network Rail Saltley Depot. This work includes the excavation of material in a segregated works area and reinstatement. All works will be segregated from vehicle or pedestrian access and sign posted. Any changes to footpaths or vehicle routes will be signposted at location in line with agreed traffic management requirements. Once completed all locations will be put back as new. No outages will take place during the works

We would like to invite you to join a free webinar focussing on the environmental sustainability of both Interchange and Curzon Street Station .

Interchange Station

Our brand new West Midlands stations will be amongst the most environmentally friendly buildings in the world once complete. During this free webinar you will hear from our environmental experts about what BREEAM is, the process for achieving an excellent or outstanding BREEAM rating and how we are designing Curzon St Station and Interchange Station to be amongst the world’s most environmentally sustainable stations.

Birmingham Curzon Street Station

The webinar will be broadcast live on Wednesday 12 May, from 12.00-13.15 and you will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat.

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what we are doing through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

This is the third in a series of webinars focussing on Building HS2’s West Midlands stations. The next webinar, Interchange Station- Building Bridges, will take place later this summer. Please visit our events pages for more details.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Severn Trent is currently assessing how the new railway will affect the water and sewer network. Severn Trent has a responsibility for delivering water and sewerage services to homes and businesses across the region and to ensure the impact of any work is kept to a minimum. In order to do that we need to do some survey work.

The investigation work will mean that we need to dig in the area on Dorset Road, Saltley.

Utility works in central Birmingham

As we continue to carry out utility diversions in preparation for the construction of HS2’s Curzon Street Station and the railway, we’ll be carrying out works on Moor Street, Moor Street Queensway and Masshouse Lane. To carry out the utility works safely, we need to manage traffic in the local area, this will include phased lane closures and pedestrian management.

Duration of works

Monday 12 April for approximately 5 weeks

What to expect

Temporary lane closures on Moor Street, Moor Street Queensway and Masshouse Lane. Traffic and pedestrian management measures will be in place as we carry out the works.

Core working hours are 8am to 6pm, although staff may be on site up to an hour before and an hour after those times.

Full details can be found on works in your area map here

https://www.hs2.org.uk/work-items/utility-works-masshouse-lane-and-moor-street/

A new contract has been signed to create new woods and wetlands as part of early environmental works on the Phase 2a route between the West Midlands and Crewe .

Established ecological mitigation site at Finham Brook, Warwickshire

The £52 million early environmental works contract we have signed with Balfour Beatty marks the first stage in extending the high speed rail line from Birmingham to Crewe and follows Royal Assent for this stage of the line in February 2021. The 36-mile stretch of Phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe is projected to open alongside the first section of the railway from Birmingham to London, and will provide seamless high speed services between Crewe, the West Midlands and London, with a link to the mainline for direct services northwards.

Supporting 200 jobs, the environmental works will take place at 82 sites running north from Fradley in Staffordshire and will include tree planting at over 40 sites, covering the area of 86 football pitches; more than 18 miles of new hedgerows; the creation of 20 new ponds, enough to fill 10½ Olympic swimming pools and enough new grassland meadows to cover 140 football pitches to encourage wildflowers and insects to flourish.

For more information about HS2 please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Totally new to archaeology or the next Alice Roberts?

Want to find out more about archaeology and what real archaeologists do?

Aged 8-16 years old?

No problem! Join the HS2 archaeologists online as they cover the basics, meet archaeologists and explore a huge dig at Coleshill, a town to the north east of Birmingham.

Archaeologists have discovered artefacts and features showing thousands of years of occupation at Coleshill. These include the remains of a Bronze Age burnt mound, Iron Age roundhouses, Roman period field systems and a moated medieval manor house with Elizabethan gardens.

In this free online session you can share what you already know about archaeology and ask questions as they chat through the different stages of the Coleshill dig, including discoveries from the site and what they tell us about how people lived during the different Ages and how the area has changed over thousands of years.

The group size will be kept small (max 15), so that there is plenty of time to answer all your questions and hear your thoughts.

When is it and how do I sign-up?

When: Thursday 8th April, 10.00 am – 12.00 pm, with a 20 minute break

Where: Online via Zoom Sign Up Here

PLEASE NOTE:

Parental consent is needed to register.

Parents/guardians are responsible for supervising children during the session but should not appear on the screen for safeguarding purposes.

This session is being led by Wessex Archaeology supported by LM, HS2 and the Council of British Archaeology.

While you’re here…

The Coleshill site is being excavated because it’s on the route of High Speed Two (HS2). The UK’s largest archaeology programme is taking place along this route and has unearthed exciting discoveries.

We would love to know if you are interested in joining regular online sessions for 8 – 16 year olds, exploring the archaeology of HS2 or the archaeology of the Birmingham/Warwickshire area in general.

Sounds good to you?

If you are interested in joining regular online sessions, we recommend coming along to this session.

If you are 18 or over and would like to be involved in supporting the running of the group contact engagement@wessexarch.co.uk.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

Virtual one to ones

We are hosting virtual one-to-one meetings, focusing on four different areas of our works in Birmingham this month, where you can book a 20-minute slot to talk with the team from HS2 and our main works contractor BBV.

These virtual one to one meetings are an opportunity for you to find out more about HS2, what it means for your local area and have your questions answered.

Please join us at one of these events to find out more about :

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

We have introduced a new, user-friendly interactive map to the HS2 website, making it easier and simpler for you to find out what current and upcoming works we are carrying out in your area .

The new In your area map brings all of our work notifications together on one page, making it easier for you to navigate and ensure you are kept up-to-date on the work we are doing to deliver the new railway. There is also a text only view , which allows you to view the information in a table and filter results for each area.

Each work item, highlighted on the map with a 'hard hat' icon, lets you know:

You can easily see any other works we might be doing nearby, also pinpointed with an icon.

We will be introducing further improvements to the mapping tool and to this local website over the coming months. We will keep you informed of changes as they happen through our regular email notifications and our local engagement events and activities.

We'd like to know what you think about the new mapping tool and ways that we can improve it, to ensure that you can easily find information about the delivery of the railway in your area and how to contact us if you have any questions.

Let us know your views by completing our In your area map feedback survey .

If you have any questions about the recent changes or would like some help using the new interactive map, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We are hosting virtual one-to-one meetings, focusing on four different areas of our works in Birmingham this month, where you can book a 20-minute slot to talk with the team from HS2 and our main works contractor BBV.

These virtual one to one meetings are an opportunity for you to find out more about HS2, what it means for your local area and have your questions answered.

Please join us at one of these events to find out more about:

Visit www.hs2.org.uk/events for details about all events taking place in your area and to register for tickets.

Please note that only one appointment is required, if necessary we can cover a broader update in your virtual one-to-one.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

We would like to invite you to the second in a series of webinars that we are running, focussing on building our West Midlands stations .

Curzon Street Station will be at the heart of the high speed railway network and is the first intercity terminus station built in the UK since the 1900s. Located in Birmingham City Centre this landmark station will link to the local and national transport network, opening up areas for regeneration.

During our free webinar you will hear from our design and planning experts about the process of designing our new Curzon Street Station, including what factors were considered during the design process and what challenges the team have overcome to achieve the award-winning eco-friendly design. You will also be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat.

The webinar will be broadcast live on Thursday 18 March, from 12.00-13.30pm .

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what we are doing through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel. Further joining instructions will be sent to all registered attendees closer to the time.

Watch the first webinar in the Building HS2’s West Midlands Stations series – Designing Interchange Station .

The next webinar will be 'Midlands Stations – Achieving a Sustainable Lifetime Through Design'. Please subscribe to www.hs2inBirmingham.co.uk to be kept informed about this and future sessions, or visit www.hs2.org.uk/events for details of all upcoming events.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge are significant structures two miles north-east of Birmingham City Centre which cross other major transport links. Before we begin construction, we are seeking your views on some specific details of their design.

The latest design for the Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge in Birmingham has been revealed and to help us form our final design we're inviting you to have your say on:

The existing viaduct and overbridge carry roads over the National Rail tracks, the River Rea and the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal. For the HS2 line to pass through, additional space is required underneath them and they will need to be entirely rebuilt.

Due to COVID-19 we are not currently able to hold face-to-face public events, but we are holding online events to share information about the design and construction of the Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge on:

Please view our information booklet on Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge before completing the online survey . The survey will be available to complete until Monday 15 March at 23:59.

Please also visit our dedicated Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge web page for more information.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

We are delighted to announce that from today (Monday, February 22), applications are now open for residents across Phase One and Phase 2a of the HS2 route to become Local Community Representatives .

As part of the Construction Commissioner Steering Group (CCSG), you will represent your community, share and communicate a range of experiences and perspectives as Britain’s new high-speed railway is built, and also help to monitor the performance of the Independent Construction Commissioner (ICC).

We are seeking to recruit a number of Local Community Representatives to sit on the CCSG, which is independent of HS2 and the Department for Transport. The Group meets three to four times a year, in either Birmingham or London (when attending physical meetings) and also virtually.

For more details about these exciting opportunities and how to apply, please click on the links below. If you have any questions about the CCSG or about becoming a Local Community Representative, you can also contact: community@hs2.org.uk

Applications close on Friday, March 26, 2021 .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

This Wednesday (February 24), a free online 'webinar' will showcase one of Britain's biggest archaeological digs which took place at Birmingham's Park Street Burial Grounds .

The Park Street excavation, undertaken on our behalf by MOLA Headland Infrastructure, was the largest investigation of a Victorian graveyard outside London. The site presented archaeologists with an unprecedented opportunity to study the population of Birmingham during a period of rapid expansion and change for the city.

Join representatives from MOLA Headland Infrastructure on Wednesday February 24, 2021, from 11.30am - 12.30pm to learn about the history of the site and to hear updates on some of the recent findings. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option and pre-submit questions when you register.

Please note registration closes one hour before each live event starts. We will be publishing video recordings of the session online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about each topic through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

From early March we’ll continue to work on roads and footpaths in central Birmingham as we carry out utilities diversions in preparation for the construction of HS2’s Curzon Street Station and the railway.

To carry out the utility works safely, we need to manage traffic in the local area. This will include lane closures on Park Street and Masshouse Lane while we carry out the utility installations. We’ll carry out the works in phases to minimise disruption.

For more information please read the notification on our works in your area page or this link here .

The latest design for the Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge in Birmingham has been unveiled and to help shape our final design we're inviting you to have your say . Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge are existing structures that carry roads over the National Rail tracks, the River Rea and the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, two miles north east of the city centre. Extra space is needed underneath both structures for the HS2 line to pass through which means the existing structures will need to be entirely rebuilt.

Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge are significant structures that span the area and cross other major transport links. Before we begin construction, we are seeking your views on some specific details of the Saltley viaduct and Aston Church Road overbridge. These are:

Sign-up here for our online events to find out more Due to COVID-19 we are not currently able to hold face-to-face public events, but we are holding online events to share information about the design and construction of the Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge on:

Please view our information booklet on Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge before completing the online survey . The survey will be available to complete until Monday 15 March at 23:59.

Please visit our dedicated Saltley Viaduct and Aston Church Road Overbridge web page for more information.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Did you know that one of the biggest archaeological digs in the UK recently took place in Birmingham? Find out more at a free online 'webinar' on February 24.

The archaeological excavation at Park Street undertaken on our behalf by MOLA Headland Infrastructure was the largest investigation of a Victorian graveyard undertaken outside of London. The site presented archaeologists with an unprecedented opportunity to study the population of Birmingham during a period of rapid expansion and change for the city.

Following a presentation delivered in February2019, join representatives from MOLA Headland Infrastructure on Wednesday February 24, 2021 from 11.30am - 12.30pm to learn about the history of the site and updates on some of the recent findings. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option and pre-submit questions when you register.

Please note registration closes 1 hour before each live event starts. We will be publishing video recordings of the session online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about each topic through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We will be hosting a virtual careers fair on Wednesday 24 February to showcase the jobs the UK's new high-speed railway project is creating across the West Midlands.

The event is being hosted by our community engagement team in a bid to ensure that local communities, who live near to the route of the new railway, are given every opportunity to benefit from upcoming skills and employment opportunities.

Last month we launched our new online jobs board which displays all the current opportunities to work on HS2, within its supply chain. The jobs board is updated daily and already shows a huge variety of vacancies in the local area from apprenticeships to communications and engineering roles.

During the webinar, our main works construction partner for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), will share details of upcoming opportunities that they will be recruiting and discuss the broad range of skills and expertise they are looking for. BBV expects to be one of the largest recruiters in the region over the next two years, forecasting that it will create around 7,000 jobs to deliver its section of the new high-speed rail network.

The webinar is aimed at local people who are looking for work or a change of career. Birmingham-based charity Suited for Success will also attend the event to provide guidance on the support available to those looking to get back in to work after an employment break. Delegates will hear about the breadth of opportunities being created, suitable for those interested in both site-based and office-based job opportunities.

The event will be held from 4-6pm on Wednesday 24th February and delegates are encouraged to register their attendance in advance.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We have launched our brand-new jobs site to promote the estimated 20,000 roles that Phase One of the project is creating in the months and years ahead, the first time all opportunities to work directly on HS2 have been available to search in one place.

This follows the Prime Minister's announcement of the 22,000 job opportunities available on the high speed rail project, when officially starting construction in September 2020. The initiative has the backing of the Department for Work and Pensions and a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the agreed roles and responsibilities of HS2 Ltd and its job brokerage partners, is in place between the two organisations.

The new digital platform, hosted on the HS2 website  , offers those looking for work or a change of career, the opportunity to search the very latest vacancies with our construction partners and station contractors delivering the London to Birmingham section of the railway. The jobs board allows prospective candidates to search for vacancies by region or specialism, so they can quickly identify opportunities that match their criteria. 

In September 2020, our four main works contractors and two station construction partners estimated that they would create over 20,000 jobs to support the decade-long construction programme for Phase One of the project. The jobs board, highlighting opportunities to work with us within the  supply chain, makes it easier for jobseekers to navigate and find a position that matches their career aspirations.

It has been developed as part of a job brokerage partnership model, bringing together local authorities, enterprise partnerships, charities and employment support services along the 140-mile route of the first phase of the new railway. Job brokerage partners will play an integral role in supporting individuals from local communities, disadvantaged and underrepresented groups into employment on the project, in line with objectives set out in our Skills, Employment and Education Strategy.

We have already supported 13,000 jobs, including more than 400 new apprenticeship starts and over 550 previously unemployed individuals. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we and our contractors also supported over 100 work experience placements to ensure that individuals are actively engaged with the programme and have the very best opportunity to capitalise on future career openings. 

The start of main construction works last year was a catalyst for the project, spearheading £12bn of contract opportunities which British businesses are beginning to bid for.  As our tier one contractors begin procuring suppliers and services required to deliver their work packages, the number of job opportunities will increase. This heightened demand has created new career pathways and long-term career prospects for individuals at all levels, in both blue and white-collar roles.

Please click here for more information about HS2’s job brokerage programme, or to search for vacancies on the new job platform .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We would like to invite you to join a free webinar focusing on the design of Interchange Station on Wednesday, 10 February, from 12-1.15pm.

The HS2 Interchange Station, to be built near to the NEC and Birmingham Airport in Solihull, will be the best-connected place in the UK by rail, road and air with customers able to reach London Euston in just 38 minutes.

During this free webinar you will hear from our design and planning experts about the process of designing the new Interchange Station, including what factors were considered during the design process and what challenges the team have overcome to achieve the award-winning design. You will also be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat.

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what we are doing through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

This is the first in a series of webinars we will be running, highlighting the building of our West Midlands stations. The next webinar, Designing Curzon Street Station, will take place in March. Please visit www.hs2.org.uk/events for details of all upcoming events.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

With many parents supporting children who are learning at home during the current time, we have developed a range of interesting curriculum-linked projects to work on at home. These include shorter activities ideal for families supporting younger children with learning at home and pre-planned lessons that secondary school teachers could set students as part of their curriculum learning.

The online resources were created as a result of us being unable to visit schools to deliver our regular programme of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshops because of Covid-19 restrictions and also schools being less able to take students 'off-curriculum' for career-themed activities due to the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Our Skills, Employment and Education team has created plans for STEM lessons which teachers can use to introduce a careers context to regular curriculum lessons. The activities are expected to take 1-2 hours to complete and are aimed primarily at 11-14 year-olds. Lessons include using maths skills to decide on how to construct a bridge across a motorway, researching the ecology of great created newts to create new habitats and using archaeological information to interpret the history of a site. There are also longer STEM projects and workshops available online, where students can develop their skills through hands-on and team build challenges to inspire them to become EPIC engineers.

During the past year, five HS2 colleagues have become Enterprise Advisors for schools for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our work with these schools revealed a demand for STEM activities adapted for SEND students, to encourage them to consider STEM careers. Online lessons for SEND students include working in teams to design a train station, learning about ecosystems and building an insect hotel, and preparing for independent rail travel through role play.

Younger students aged between 7-11 can also get involved in shorter activities ranging from making rail tracks from everyday materials, solving puzzles and planning a railway route.

For more information and to download guides and worksheets, visit our learning from home educational content web page .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

The latest developments and discoveries at Coleshill in Warwickshire will be the focus of a free webinar this Thursday, 28 January, from 11.30am-12.15pm.

We would like to invite you to join us and the team from Wessex Archaeology for this online event to find out about the latest developments on the ongoing excavations at Coleshill, focusing on the Medieval moated manor house and its ornamental Elizabethan gardens.

This is the second instalment of our series on the Coleshill Manor site. The first webinar took place in November 2020 and is available to watch now: HS2 In Focus: Archaeology - Uncovering the Medieval manor house in Coleshill, November 2020 webinar

Our team will discuss new finds, including artefacts, garden features and building remains and also highlight how these are helping us to build a greater picture of the manor house. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option and pre-submit questions when you register.

We also recommend that you watch our previous webinars on the Coleshill site, so that you are up to date on our work so far:

The Archaeology of HS2: Uncovering the stories of Coleshill’s past

HS2 InFocus Webinar: The Archaeology of HS2 - Uncovering Coleshill

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what has been unearthed so far through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We would like to invite you to join a free webinar focusing on the latest developments and ongoing excavations at Coleshill in Warwickshire on Thursday, 28 January from 11.30am-12.15pm.

Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites. Join us and the team from Wessex Archaeology for this online event to find out about the latest developments on the ongoing excavations at Coleshill, focusing on the Medieval moated manor house and its ornamental Elizabethan gardens.

This is the second instalment of our series on the Coleshill Manor site. The first webinar took place in November 2020 and is available to watch now: HS2 In Focus: Archaeology - Uncovering the Medieval manor house in Coleshill, November 2020 webinar

Our team will chat about some of the new discoveries on site, including artefacts, garden features and building remains and discuss how these new findings are helping us to build a greater picture of the manor house. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option and pre-submit questions when you register.

We also recommend that you watch our previous webinars on the Coleshill site, so that you are up to date on our work so far:

The Archaeology of HS2: Uncovering the stories of Coleshill’s past

HS2 InFocus Webinar: The Archaeology of HS2 - Uncovering Coleshill

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what has been unearthed so far through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Over 300,000 trees will be planted by our specialist ecology teams across the Phase One route during the winter months, taking the total number of trees planted between London and the Midlands to more than 730,000 by this spring .

The planting initiative is part of our extensive Green Corridor programme, designed to create a network of bigger, better-connected, habitats and new green spaces for people to enjoy. 430,000 trees have already been planted across Phase One and up to 7 million trees will eventually be planted along this part of the route, with many new grasslands, meadows and recreational areas for local communities.

This short video highlights progress so far in the delivery of the Green Corridor.

In Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands , 60,000 trees will be planted at locations around South Cubbington Wood, Ashbeds Wood, Fulfen Wood, Ravenshaw and Broadwells Wood. A broad range of tree and shrub species will be planted to reflect each local area , including oak, hazel, birch, holly and hawthorn. This builds on the 80,000 trees already planted in the Midlands, with 40 ponds and many acres of wetland, heathland and meadow also created across the region.

Through Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire , advanced planting and woodland compensation planting is being undertaken at West Hyde and Horn Hill, Wendover Dean, Aylesbury, Calvert and near the village of Ladbroke, by specialist ecology and landscape companies.

In West Ruislip , planting will create new woodland areas to provide connected habitats for bats . Trees being planted include field maple, hornbeam, hazel, holly, bird cherry, mountain ash, yew and spindle. There will also be areas of grassland and ponds created to protect local biodiversity and create new homes for a mix of wildlife.

These areas will quickly develop to create new opportunities for wildlife and people, bolstering local wildlife corridors by linking with existing woodlands and other habitats. New wildlife habitats in a variety of locations also include badger setts, bat houses, bird boxes, reptile banks and bug houses to help local wildlife populations thrive.

We have developed a new online map showing where we are delivering Green Corridor activities and highlighting our additional funded environmental projects along the route. You can view relevant Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) projects, the Woodland Fund, other local panel funds, and our environmental works in your area.

The Green Corridor Prospectus accompanies the map, outlining how the Green Corridor and associated funding can benefit communities. Used together, these tools will enable community and environment groups to identify local opportunities to enhance and enjoy the natural environment using the funds available.

Funding is available for a wide range of independent environmental projects to benefit nature and communities along the route , including creating new parks and play facilities, investing in green spaces in urban areas, regenerating areas along canals, and conserving and enhancing the historic environment. By working in partnership with organisations and individuals, the Green Corridor will deliver a positive, long-term legacy for the natural and historic environment , and for people and communities across the country.

On Phase One and Phase 2a, the £7m HS2 Woodland Fund is helping local landowners create new native, broadleaf woodlands and restore existing ancient woodland sites. The first £1.25m has been allocated as part of a grant scheme managed on our behalf by the Forestry Commission, supporting 28 woodland projects that will deliver approximately 105 hectares of new woodland and restore a further 68 hectares of ancient woodland.

For more information about funding available and how local groups can apply please visit www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/hs2-green-corridor

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

One of the world’s oldest surviving examples of monumental railway architecture is to be preserved and enhanced, with Birmingham's Old Curzon Street Station set to be transformed as part of our plans for the city's high speed rail terminus .

We have received the go-ahead from Birmingham City Council to begin the refurbishment of the building, marking the next phase of work around the new Curzon Street Station terminus in central Birmingham. The agreement with the Council, who own the building, enables a long-term lease by HS2, with work due to start on the major revamp early next year by our enabling works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons).

The Grade I listed building has been integrated into our plans for the new Curzon Street Station, which provide an enhanced setting to reflect the history of the old station, as well as the Grade II listed Woodman pub. The public space surrounding the station will feature the historic track alignments of the former goods yard that used to lie to its east, while the gardens and new eastern concourse façade have also been designed to complement the architecture of the building. LMJV are now ready to start a 12-month programme of work in early 2021, overseen by a conservation specialist.

Designed by the notable architect Philip Hardwick and opened in 1838, the building is now one of the world's oldest surviving pieces of monumental railway architecture. It was intended to be the boardroom and general offices of the London and Birmingham Railway, but was extended to incorporate a hotel by 1841, then turned into a goods station for freight traffic between 1854 and 1860, before closing on 31 Dec 1965.

Having suffered extensive damage during the Birmingham Blitz, and survived two applications for its demolition in the 1970s, it is now listed on the ‘Heritage at Risk Register’ maintained by Historic England. The refurbishment will see this status change for the first time in over a decade, with future plans to use it as a HS2 visitors centre, with flexible facilities for office space, exhibitions and catering.

The refurbishment will be undertaken by infrastructure specialists KN Circet, who have offices in Solihull. Work will include a new steel structural frame to strengthen the building, a new lift giving access to all four levels, new glass balustrade for the historic staircase, internal fit-out, roof repairs and structural repairs to external masonry. The company, trading as KN Network Services Ltd, has carried out heritage restoration projects across the UK railway network, predominantly in London and the South East. It has won and been nominated for railway heritage awards for façade works at Lambeth North, South Kensington and Great Portland Street London Underground stations, and has also carried out façade works at Victoria Station and Waterloo Station for Network Rail.

Planning applications for the new Curzon Street Station were approved by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee in April 2020, with the Council’s report concluding the station design “is truly world class”. Eventually, there will be nine trains per hour running in each direction from the station. The Curzon Street Masterplan outlines proposals for 141 hectares of regeneration, along with £724m million investment in the surrounding area. It envisages the creation of 36,000 new jobs, 4,000 new homes and 600,000 square metres of commercial development.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We have recently published some new documents which may be of interest to you. This is part of our commitment to keeping you informed about HS2 progress and construction activities in your area .

We have published the fifth public report that documents our progress towards being a good neighbour by putting engagement with communities at the heart of everything we do.

This report covers the six-month period from January to June 2020, and draws on a number of case studies of activity during the first half of the year, along with currently available data such as from our Helpdesk, community funding awarded and the events we have held.

View and download the Community Engagement Progress Report: January to June 2020 report. A collection of all our reports to date can be found on the HS2 website .

We will continue to publish these reports on a regular basis.

As part of our commitment to conserve and enhance Britain’s natural environment as we plan and build the railway, HS2 is creating a Green Corridor along the route, a network of joined up habitats, landscaping and community-based environmental projects.

We have developed an online map showing where we are delivering Green Corridor activities and where additional HS2 funded environmental projects are being delivered along the route. You will be able to use the map to view relevant Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) projects, the Woodland Fund, other local panel funds, and HS2 environmental works in your area.

We have also published a Green Corridor Prospectus to accompany the map. The prospectus outlines the many ways the Green Corridor and associated funding can benefit communities, for example, through the creation of new play facilities, investment in green spaces in urban areas, regeneration along canals, and conservation and enhancement of the historic environment.

Used together the Prospectus and the online map will enable community and environment groups to identify local opportunities to enhance and enjoy the natural environment using the funds available.

As you will know there are a number of grants available to support environmental projects and improve green spaces in your constituency, such as the HS2 Community & Environment Fund and the Woodland Fund. If you would like to know more about how local groups can apply for funding please visit www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/hs2-green-corridor .

We are committed to providing you with information about what construction activities will be happening in your area and when. Our construction forward looks include information on construction, environmental and survey activities planned over the next three months. The latest edition is available to view and download on the works in your area page .

Please note that the dates and information included in the forward look may be subject to change as the programme develops and any changes will be updated in the next edition of the forward look.

As a reminder, over the festive period the HS2 Helpdesk will continue to operate all day, every day , including Christmas Day and bank holidays. You can contact us for free on 08081 434 434, by Minicom on 08081 456 472, or by email at HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

On Monday 25th January we will be carrying out inspection surveys of the drainage system on a section of Aston Church Road, to help us prepare to build the railway.

To be able to do this safely we will need to install temporary three-way traffic lights along a specified area of Aston Church Road.

The lights will be in place until Thursday 28 th January and will be operational from 09.30am until 15.30pm each day.

3 way traffic lights Aston Church Road new.pdf

Over the coming months, our contractor LMJV will be continuing work on roads and footpaths in central Birmingham as we carry out utilities diversions in preparation for the construction of HS2’s Curzon Street Station and the railway.

As part of this work from Monday 4 January to Friday 8 January 2021, we will be implementing a temporary closure on the southbound carriageway of Moor Street Queensway.

This will mean access to Carrs Lane for loading and delivery vehicles is via the northbound carriageway only - this means a temporary suspension of the bus gate restrictions while this work is carried out.

Access to Moor St Station, Selfridges and Bullring car park is via the ring road and Digbeth.

Diversions are fully signed and details can be found in this leaflet.

Alterations to bus services will also take place and you are advised to check before you travel at wmnetwork.co.uk during this period.

Our surgery-style virtual drop-ins are an opportunity for you to find out more about HS2, what it means for the local area and have your questions answered. You can book a 20-minute slot to talk with the team from HS2, LM, and BBV.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

During January 2020, we asked for views and ideas on some of the detailed aspects of three of our proposed Common Design Elements (CDEs): parapets, piers and lineside noise barriers.

We received 457 replies and our Survey Response Document summarising these has now been published on our website .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We will be working in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to deliver utility diversions for the planned Birmingham Eastside Metro extension, serving the new HS2 Curzon Street Station on its proposed route to Digbeth.

Alongside the WMCA, we have developed joint plans to ensure that utility diversions needed around our new Curzon Street station will future-proof the area for the city’s tram extension. These diversions, being carried out by enabling works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons Joint Venture), form part of the preparation work for the station.

The West Midlands Metro Eastside extension, between Bull Street and Digbeth, will better connect HS2 to wider Birmingham and the Black Country through the tram network. The plans lay the foundations for the new route to serve the station, as well as providing connections with New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill railway stations. The extension, along with a number of others, is being planned, designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).

At the heart of the high speed network, Curzon Street station has been designed to facilitate future improvements to public space, ensuring inclusive, seamless transport connections for local people, providing opportunities for retail and commercial development, helping drive local investment and regeneration. Granted planning permission earlier this year, it will be the first new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the since the 19th Century. Eventually, nine trains per hour will join the high speed network in each direction from the station.

The station is set to reduce carbon emissions by an unprecedented 55%, will achieve net zero carbon emissions from regulated energy consumption and use a range of technologies to generate energy from renewable sources. Its design has also been validated through the BREEAM Excellent rating, an industry-recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste, and minimise impact on the natural environment.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We would like to invite you to join a free webinar focusing on managing protected species in the West Midlands.

During this free webinar , hosted by HS2 and our early works contractors Laing O’Rourke and Murphy Joint Venture (LM), you will hear from our environmental experts about the work we are undertaking to ensure we carefully manage our impact on protected species , with a particular focus on great crested newts and bats.

You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat.

The webinar will be broadcast live on Tuesday 24 November, from 10.30-12.00pm .

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what we are doing through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

Even before HS2 starts operating, there are countless environmental projects and innovations occurring up and down the route to protect, preserve and enhance Britain’s precious natural environment.

We continue to undertake one of the largest ecological surveys in the UK. Some of the UK’s most experienced and leading ecological consultants are working with us, and our work is supported with technical input and advice from specialist ecologists.

Visit the HS2 website for more information about our work to manage our impact on the environment .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We would like to invite you to join a free webinar focusing on the latest developments and ongoing excavations at Coleshill in Warwickshire on Thursday, 26 November from 11.30am-12pm.

Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites. Join us and the team from Wessex Archaeology for this online event to find out about the Medieval moated manor house and its ornamental Elizabethan gardens. The event will highlight some of the new discoveries on site, including artefacts, garden features and building remains, and we will discuss how these new findings are helping us to build a greater picture of the manor house.

You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option and pre-submit questions when you register. We also recommend that you watch our previous webinars on the Coleshill site, so that you are up-to-date on our works and what has been unearthed so far:

The Archaeology of HS2: Uncovering the stories of Coleshill’s past

HS2 InFocus Webinar: The Archaeology of HS2 - Uncovering Coleshill

We will be publishing a video recording of the session online, so if you are unable to attend the event, you will still be able to learn about what has been unearthed so far through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, we are r emodelling and improving the existing network and creating new routes on HS2 land.

On Friday 23 October 2020, sections of the A452 Chester Road (northbound) and A446 Stonebridge Road (northbound and southbound) between Stonebridge Island and M6 Junction 4 were closed to traffic. This closure enabled LM to safely install a bridge deck over the A446.

We’re pleased to inform you that the full closure of the A452 and A446 was lifted on Sunday 25 October 24 hours earlier than planned.

Road users can now travel in both directions along the A452. A temporary 24-hour single lane closure is now in place along the A446 southbound for approximately five days, to allow us to carry out various activities to reinstate the road. Please view the works notification , including maps.

We would like to thank you for your cooperation to allow us to successfully complete this phase of work.

If you would like to find out more about what we are doing in the Interchange area for the remainder of 2020, you can read our most recent HS2 Update newsletter .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, we are remodelling and improving the existing network and creating new routes on HS2 land.

To link the new network with existing routes, we’re building four connecting highways bridges. The first was successfully installed across the M42 in August. To safely install the next bridge deck over the A446, parts of the A452 Chester Road and A446 Stonebridge Road will be closed this weekend.

Sections of the A452 Chester Road (northbound) and A446 Stonebridge Road (northbound and southbound) between Stonebridge Island and M6 Junction 4 will be closed to traffic after evening rush hour on Friday 23 October 2020, and reopen before morning rush hour on Monday 26 October 2020. If work progresses faster than expected, we will reopen the A452 and A446 earlier if possible.

During the temporary closure, diversions will be in place and clear signage will be displayed for drivers. Please visit the Highways England website for full details or view the works notification , including a map.

After this second bridge is installed over the A446, we will also need to carry out various activities to reinstate the road. To conduct these safely, we will install a 24-hour single lane closure and then a road closure. Firstly, we'll install a temporary 24-hour single lane closure along the A446 southbound from Monday 26 October for approximately five days. If the bridge over the A446 is completed ahead of schedule and the A452 and A446 are reopened before Monday 26 October, we will install the 24-hour single lane closure from that point.

To complete our activities to reinstate the road, when we remove the 24-hour single lane closure, we will install a temporary road closure along the A446 southbound from Friday 30 October for one night. Please view the works notification , including maps.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Our HS2 Helpdesk team is available all day, every day to listen and help with any questions you may have about the project. This is a key part of our commitment to keep you informed while we build the new railway.

So if you want to find out more about where it's going, the opportunities available or any other changes it might bring to your area, you can contact our Helpdesk team on:

In most cases, our Helpdesk team will be able to answer your question straight away, but if they can’t then they'll work with our local teams in your area to respond.

For more information about our Helpdesk and how to get in touch with us, please visit www.hs2.org.uk/helpdesk

To mark the Council for British Archaeology's Festival of Archaeology , we are holding a series of free online events so you can get involved and find out more about what treasures are being unearthed as we build the country's new high speed railway. The event, now in its 29th year, is being held from October 24 - November 1, shining a light on our past and how our ancestors lived.

If you've ever wondered what an archaeologist does when they’re at work, then or webinar A day in the life of a HS2 Archaeologist on Monday October 26 (12.15 - 12.50pm) is for you!

The session will explore the academic choices and professional job roles which led some of our archaeologists to their careers working on HS2. Hosted by one of our Historic Environment Managers and main works civils contractor CSJV’s Archaeological Lead, this webinar focuses on the careers of Dr Emma Hopla and Dr Emma Tetlow.

They will discuss a typical week in the life of the Archaeological Client and the Archaeological Contractor, as well as some of the exciting discoveries they have made along the way. You will also be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat.

Sign up to attend this free online event via our Eventbrite page

Our second session, An Introduction to HS2 Archaeology: Staffordshire and Cheshire , highlights how our archaeological works on Phase 2a from Fradley to Crewe, which cross north Staffordshire and East Cheshire, build upon our experiences and discoveries from Phase One, revealing new insights and findings about the history of this landscape.

Led by Chris Jordan, our Historic Environment Manager for Phase 2a, this talk will introduce the heritage along the Phase 2a route, including the influence of the landscape, and discuss what we are trying to discover, how we do it, and what exciting finds we might expect over the next few years.

You will be able to ask Chris and the team questions via a live Q&A chat during the online event which takes place on Tuesday October 27 (12.15 - 12.50pm) .

Sign up to attend this free online event via our Eventbrite page

Our final webinar focuses on the archaeological works carried out at St Mary's Church in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire.

An Introduction to St Mary's in Stoke Mandeville on Wednesday October 28 (12.15 - 12.50pm) will be led by Guy Hunt, Partner at LP Archaeology, alongside experts from HS2 and Fusion. Guy and the team will explain how the site is a fantastic opportunity for archaeologists to examine and understand a landscape which has been occupied by humans for thousands of years, dating back to the Bronze Age.

The team will be available to answer your questions during a live Q&A chat option.

Please be warned that the presentation will contain images of human remains (skeletons).

Sign up to attend this free online event via our Eventbrite page

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, we are expanding and improving the existing network and creating new routes on HS2 land.

These works will be concentrated on and around Northway Island, on the B4438 and Northway in the Solihull area. To link the new network with existing routes, we’re building four connecting highways bridges. The first of these new bridges – a 65-metre structure spanning the width of the M42 – was successfully installed in August 2020.

To safely install the next bridge deck over the A446, we will close sections of the A452 Chester Road and A446 Stonebridge Road for one weekend.

Sections of the A452 Chester Road (northbound) and A446 Stonebridge Road (northbound and southbound) between Stonebridge Island and M6 Junction 4 will be closed to traffic after evening rush hour on Friday 23 October 2020, and reopen before morning rush hour on Monday 26 October 2020. If work progresses faster than expected, we will reopen the A452 and A446 earlier if possible.

During the temporary closure, diversions will be in place and clear signage will be displayed along the route for drivers. For full details of the road closures and diversion routes, please visit the Highways England website .

Click here to view the works notification , including a map.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Early works for HS2 are being carried out by a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and J.Murphy & Sons, known as LM. LM has been carrying out works near the A452, A45 and M42 since 2018 . We refer to this area as the Interchange area because it will be the home of the future HS2 Interchange Station .

Located near to the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International Airport, Interchange Station will be a major transport gateway for the region, providing high speed rail connections to London, Birmingham and the North of England.

Artist's impression of the new road bridge across the A446

We will now close sections of the A452 and A446 in the Interchange area for one weekend to install the bridge deck over the A446.

Sections of the A452 Chester Road (northbound) and A446 Stonebridge Road (northbound and southbound) between Stonebridge Island and M6 Junction 4 will be closed to traffic after evening rush hour on Friday 23 October 2020, and reopen before morning rush hour on Monday 26 October 2020 . If our work progresses faster than expected, we will reopen the A452 and A446 earlier if possible.

During this temporary closure, diversions will be in place and clear signage will be displayed along the route for drivers. Visit the Highways England website for full details of the road closure and diversion routes .

Further information can also be found on our dedicated webpage: Improving the local road network in the Interchange area .

For more information about this closure please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

HS2’s landscape and ecology programme in the West Midlands will create bigger, better and more joined up wildlife habitats, including woodland, wetlands, and community spaces around the new railway for people to enjoy for years to come.

We would like to invite you to find out more by attending our free 'HS2 in Focus' webinar on ecology on September 30, where we will be discussing our plans for habitats and wetlands in the region and highlighting what has already been created.

Our enabling works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and Murphy Joint Venture) and their team of ecologists and landscape architects have planted nearly 80,000 trees already in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. In addition, 40 ponds and several acres of wetland, heathland and meadow have also been created, with new wildlife habitats in a variety of locations including badger setts, bat houses, bird boxes, reptile banks and bug houses to help local wildlife populations thrive.

The new woodlands will be part of our ‘Green Corridor’ which will see up to 7 million new trees and shrubs planted between London and the West Midlands, supporting delicately balanced local ecosystems running through the spine of the country.

Our environmental experts, as well as those from LMJV and Five Rivers Environmental Contracting, will be discussing the works that are taking place before we build Britain’s new high-speed railway. The session will also highlight the efforts we are making to ensure that we carefully manage our impact on the existing natural environment during the construction and operation of the new railway.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

From Monday 21 September there will be road closure in place on New Canal Street. This is to allow some utility diversion works to take place. The road will be closed from the junction of New Canal Street/Fazeley Street to the junction of Curzon Street. Please see the notification on the works in your area page for more details.

September is an exciting time to learn about the mysteries of the past and how our ancestors lived as we host a series of fascinating online archaeology events as part of Heritage Open Days 2020. In addition, a major three-part documentary will be shown on BBC Two from Tuesday, September 15, exploring the discoveries found in Britain’s largest ever archaeological programme.

Before construction work began, and any track is laid, over 1,000 archaeologists, across more than 60 sites between London and the West Midlands, have been carefully uncovering the secrets of Britain’s past. The BBC series, ' HS2 – The Biggest Dig ' will focus on two major cemetery excavations – one adjacent to London’s Euston station and the other in Park Street, next to Birmingham Curzon Street station – the sites of our two new terminals.

For three years, our archaeologists have been giving TV documentary makers, Lion TV, exclusive access to archaeological sites being excavated as part of the project and the series is presented by anthropologist and anatomist Professor Alice Roberts and historian Dr Yasmin Khan.

The BBC series is complemented throughout September with a number of online archaeology webinars to support Heritage Open Days 2020, highlighting some of the exciting finds uncovered along the route of the new railway.

We're holding the following online events (click on the events below to register):

You can find the full list of our online events at www.hs2.org.uk/events .

We will be publishing video recordings of the session online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about each topic through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

HS2 - The Biggest Dig will be also be available on BBC iPlayer .

For more information about HS2 please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Before we build bridges, tunnels, tracks and stations, the largest archaeology programme ever undertaken in the UK is taking place along the line of route. Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites.

To share information about these works and some of the exciting finds uncovered we are running a series of online archaeology events to support Heritage Open Days and Birmingham Heritage Week 2020.

We're holding the following online events for Heritage Open Days 2020 (click on the events below to register):

You can find the full list of our online events here .

We will be publishing video recordings of the session online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about each topic through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

For more information about HS2 please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, HS2 contractors are expanding and improving the existing network and creating new routes on HS2 land .

On Friday 7 August 2020, junctions 6 and 7A (northbound) and junctions 7 and 6 (southbound) of the M42 were closed to traffic. This closure enabled early works contractor, LM, to safely install a 65 metre bridge over the motorway.

We’re pleased to inform you that the closure of the M42 has been lifted and road users can now travel in both directions. Work to install the 2,750 tonne, 65 metre long bridge, which spans the width of the M42, was completed in just two days and the motorway reopened to road users earlier than planned.

A 448-wheel transporter took just one hour and 45 minutes to move the bridge span 150 metres, where it was affixed to a composite concrete deck to complete the overall bridge structure. Traditional construction methods would have required several weeks of lane closures on both carriageways, followed by additional weekend and overnight closures.

The successful installation marks the completion of the first of four bridges to be built close to the new Interchange Station. It will form part of the major remodelling of the existing road network to improve the circulation of traffic around the HS2 railway line and the new Interchange Station.

We would like to thank you for your patience during this time.

Visit the HS2 website to find out more about the M42 bridge installation .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

HS2’s innovative Curzon Street station project is aiming for net zero emissions in operation, paving the way for future green infrastructure.

The new station is set to reduce carbon emissions by an unprecedented 55%, achieving net zero carbon emissions from regulated energy consumption and generating energy from renewable sources through a range of technologies.

Thanks to innovative design, there are over forty opportunities for carbon reduction, resulting in a lowering of the station’s lifetime emissions by over 87,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent – the same as removing the emissions of over 10,000 houses, or the equivalent of travelling 500 million kilometres in your car.

Innovations include rainwater harvesting, the use of solar panels and using recycled or renewable materials in the construction. Reduced energy demand and consumption will be achieved, for example, by using LED lighting and generating low carbon energy through 2,855m2 of solar panels on the platform canopies and ground source heat pumps.

The station will also transform a previously deprived area of land into a new green public realm in the heart of Birmingham City Centre for future generations. It will also be an integral part of major new transport changes for the city as a whole, incorporating the Midland Metro running alongside and underneath the station, new pedestrian routes and access to new local bus and train services.

The HS2 Curzon Street team, with Birmingham-based WSP as lead consultant, Grimshaws as building architect, and Grants Associates as landscape and public realm lead, have been working for over two years to achieve a striking architectural statement that also minimises impacts on the environment, while creating opportunities for businesses and communities alike.

The design has recently been validated through the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent rating. This means the development meets their criteria on a sustainable environment that enhances the wellbeing of people who will work in and use the station, and in its construction has helped protect natural resources. It has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment awards, which recognise projects that are helping to transform the world in the sustainability field.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, we are expanding and improving the existing network and creating new routes on HS2 land.

These works will be concentrated on and around Northway Island, on the B4438 and Northway. To link the new network with existing routes, we’re building four connecting highways bridges. The first of these new bridges will span the M42. To safely install the bridge deck over the M42, we will close sections of the M42 for one weekend.

The area between junctions 6 and 7A (northbound) and junctions 7 and 6 (southbound) will be closed after evening rush hour on Friday 7 August 2020, and reopen before morning rush hour on Monday 10 August 2020 . If work progresses faster than expected, we will reopen the M42 earlier if possible.

During the temporary closure, diversions will be in place and clear signage will be displayed along the route for drivers. For full details of the road closures and diversion routes, please visit the Highways England website .

Click here to view the works notification, including a map .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

HS2 contractors have been carrying out works near the A452, A45 and M42 in Solihull since 2018. We refer to this location as the Interchange area because it will be the home of the future HS2 Interchange Station .

Situated near the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International Airport, Interchange Station will be a major transport gateway for the region, with HS2 providing high speed rail connections to London, Birmingham and the North of England.

To ensure that the local road network is fit for purpose when the future HS2 Interchange Station is operational, our contractor LM is expanding and improving the existing road network and creating new routes on HS2 land. In early August 2020, a key piece of work in this area will be to install a highways bridge spanning the M42.

Artist's impression of the new road bridge across the M42

A weekend closure of the M42 is required to install the bridge . The area between junctions 6 and 7A (northbound) and junctions 7 and 6 (southbound) will be closed after evening rush hour on Friday 7 August 2020, and reopen before morning rush hour on Monday 10 August 2020 . If our work progresses faster than expected, we will reopen the M42 earlier if possible.

During this temporary closure, diversions will be in place and clear signage will be displayed along the route for drivers. Visit the Highways England website for full details of the road closure and diversion routes .

For more information about this, please go to our new page, Improving the Local Road Network in the Interchange area .

For more information about these works please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We will be putting some traffic management measures in place along New Canal Street/Curzon Street and Carrs Lane from 13 July for approximately 2 weeks while we carry out works.

For further details on the traffic management measures we'll have in place, please see our work notification here.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Before we build bridges, tunnels, tracks and stations, the largest archaeology programme ever undertaken in the UK is taking place along the line of route .

Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites. To share information about these works and some of the exciting finds uncovered throughout construction we are hosting an online archaeology event.

Designed for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own home our free, online event will take you on a virtual tour of Warwickshire from Kenilworth to Coleshill. Our team of archaeologists will reveal some of the stories that have been uncovered so far through photographs, footage and new imagery captured during archaeological excavations. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option.

Please note: This is a combination of previous webinars we’ve hosted covering our archaeology work in Warwickshire.

Registration for our event is now open.

We will be publishing video recordings of our webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about our archaeological work through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel .

For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

From 5th July we're permanently closing a section of Birmingham’s Park Street. It's to prepare for the construction of Curzon Street Station, which will be at the heart of the high speed rail network. More details are available on the works in your area page.

On Wednesday 24 June, HS2 Ltd revealed the names of the construction firms in the running to build Birmingham Curzon Street station – the high-speed rail project’s landmark city centre terminus.

The following bidders will be invited to tender for the contract, worth up to £570m:

Following on from the government’s recent go ahead for the civil engineering elements of the project, today’s announcement will help provide confidence for Britain’s construction and engineering sector, with the contracts set to secure hundreds of jobs as the industry moves out of coronavirus lockdown.

Curzon Street station will be the first brand new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the 19th century. It will create a new landmark for Birmingham and boost opportunities for regeneration in the city.

The station itself – which recently became the first HS2 station to gain planning approval – will be net zero carbon in operation and will adopt the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies, including capturing rainwater and utilising sustainable power generation, with over 2,800m2 of solar panels located on platform canopies.

It is designed to meet a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard, which is an industry recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste and minimise their impact on the natural environment.

HS2 worked with WSP and Grimshaw Architects LLP on the design for Curzon Street, which is inspired by the great arched roofs built by the Victorian railway pioneers. The design takes that inspiration into the 21st Century, ensuring accessibility and a focus on the open space and landscaping around it.

Alongside up to nine high speed trains an hour, passengers will also be able to access the Midland Metro, which runs alongside and underneath the station, while accessible pedestrian routes lead to local bus services, Sprint rapid transit bus services and local rail services from the neighbouring Moor Street station. Cycle parking has also been incorporated, providing space for more than 550 bicycles.

Significant progress has already been made on site. A massive archaeological programme, involving 70 archaeologists, has unearthed the world’s oldest railway roundhouse. Demolitions and ground investigations are preparing the site for construction, and utility diversions are set to begin in the summer.

The Two Stage Design and Build contract will see the winning bidder work closely with HS2 Ltd to develop the detailed design and construction of Curzon Street Station. Contracts are expected to be awarded next year.

Visit the Curzon Street station page for more information about the station and its design.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.

HS2 will provide opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes.  As part of being a good neighbour, we are keen that local companies along the line of the new high speed railway are able to make the most of the benefits the Project will bring, and get involved in the supply chain wherever they can.

HS2 Ltd are running a series of webinars that aim to help local businesses navigate the HS2 supply chain and better understand some of the things that we are looking for from suppliers.  At each event, you will hear from a different expert speaker, and also be able to take part in a Q&A session.

We will be publishing video recordings of each webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn how to get your business 'HS2 ready' through on our HS2 YouTube channel.

You can find out more information about HS2's local business opportunities here . For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Over the coming months, we’ll continue to work on roads in central Birmingham to help us plan our future utility diversions and prepare for the construction HS2’s Curzon Street Station and the railway.

In order to carry out these works safely, a section of Park Street will be closing permanently from Sunday 5 July. The closure will be in place from the junctions of Masshouse Lane and Bordesley Street (see our works notification here).

This section of Park St is a part of the footprint of the new HS2 Curzon St Station, and so from the 5th of July, it will become a part of the HS2 construction site and not be open to traffic or pedestrians. Destination signs will be altered to reflect the changes that should be followed when approaching the ring road.

Further utility works are also required on Fazeley St from the 29th of June for up to eight weeks. To carry out the utility works safely, we need to manage traffic in the area. This will include a phased road closure on Fazeley Street (see our works notification here for more information). We’ll carry out the works in phases, rather than all at once, to keep disruption to a minimum.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Communities and businesses located near to Britain’s new railway are invited to a webinar on Thursday 25 June at 13:00 to find out more about the funding schemes and local business opportunities available.

Up and down the line of route, over 100 projects have already received funding through the HS2 community and business funds, while over 1,000 local businesses are already working on the project, providing goods and services to help build Britain’s new railway. 

If your business or community is  near to the line of route between the West Midland and London  and you want to find out more about the funding programme and local business opportunities available through HS2, please sign up to our event below. 

We will be publishing video recordings of each webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about the funding and business opportunities available through on our HS2 YouTube channel.

You can find out more information about the HS2 Community Funds here  and  local business opportunities here .For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on  08081 434 434  or email  hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Pupils at Meadow High School in Hillingdon have suggested a name for one of the first of 10 giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) which has been shortlisted for a national vote launched by HS2 Ltd. The TBMs will excavate more than 35 miles of tunnel on the first phase the UK’s new high speed railway between London and the West Midlands.

The public is being invited to go to https://www.hs2.org.uk/tbmvoting/ and vote for their favourite name, from a shortlist of three chosen by local school children and inspired by female scientific and medical pioneers.

The names are:

The name with the most votes will be given to the first TBM, due to be launched from a site close to the M25 early next year. The enormous, 2,000 tonne, 170m long machine will be one of two that will dig the 10 mile long Chiltern tunnels.

The second machine, due to be launched a month later, will be given the second most popular name in the public vote.

The TBMs will be operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align JV – a joint venture formed of three companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick.

The machines are being built by Herrenknecht in Germany. Their names are being chosen now so they can be fixed to machines during their manufacture, ready for when they emerge out of the factory.

After completion the first two machines will be disassembled before beginning their long journey to England. Once they have arrived on site, each TBM will be reassembled, ready to begin their life underground.

Together the TBMs will spend around three years digging what will be the longest and deepest tunnels on the project, stretching from just inside the M25, to South Heath in Buckinghamshire.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Unfortunately, we have to postpone tomorrow's planned webinar.  We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and hope that you are still able to join us next week.   

The Archaeology of HS2 – Uncovering the Curzon Street roundhouse , will now be broadcast live from 1pm – 2pm on Wednesday 3 June.  All tickets will still be valid for the session on 3 June, so if you have already registered for the session you do not need to register again .

If you have not already registered but are keen to attend, you can still register your interest in attending this online event .

Hosted by HS2's Historic Environment team, this webinar will focus on the unearthing of what is thought to be the world’s oldest railway roundhouse at our Birmingham Curzon Street construction site earlier this year. The webinar will feature  previously unseen photographs, footage and imagery  captured during archaeological excavations earlier this year. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option.

We will be publishing video recordings of each webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about our archaeological work through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on  08081 434 434  or email  hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We have published the fourth public report that documents our progress towards being a good neighbour by putting engagement with communities at the heart of everything we do.

This report covers the six-month period from July to December 2019, and draws on a number of case studies of activity during the second half of the year, along with currently available data such as from our Helpdesk, community funding awarded and the events we have held.

We will continue to publish these reports on a regular basis.

The report is available to view and download here .

A collection of all our reports to date can be found here .

If you have any questions about the report, HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Find out what we are doing in the Birmingham area, including some of our works, by taking a look at our Birmingham Newsletter .

Preparations for main construction work on HS2 are well underway. Over the coming months we will continue delivering a number of activities including archaeological investigations, ground investigations, utilities work and demolition of buildings from HS2 acquired sites. This will take place across central Birmingham . Click the link above to view or download our HS2 Update: Birmingham, Spring/Summer 2020 for further information about upcoming works in the area.

As previously announced, HS2 has taken the decision to postpone all face-to-face engagement events and meetings due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, we remain committed to being a good neighbour to anyone affected by our work, and have continued to notify local residents about any activities in their area through alternative methods of communication. This includes direct mail, such as the latest newsletters, which we have sent in the post to local residents that are impacted by our works.

Visit the Works in your area page for further detail about current or planned works in Birmingham.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

In our previous notification highlighting utilities surveys on Curzon Street Previous works notification , we stated that there may be requirement for further work in this area in the coming weeks. We can now confirm that there is a requirement to carry out additional works starting on Tuesday 26 May for approximately one week.

There will therefore be a road closure on Curzon Street between the junctions of New Canal Street and Cardigan Street.

What to expect

What we will do

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

The Archaeology of HS2 – Uncovering the Curzon Street roundhouse , will be broadcast live from 1pm – 2pm on Thursday 28 May. 

Hosted by HS2's Historic Environment team, this webinar will focus on the unearthing of what is thought to be the world’s oldest railway roundhouse at our Birmingham Curzon Street construction site earlier this year. The webinar will feature previously unseen photographs, footage and imagery captured during archaeological excavations earlier this year. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option.

Tickets for this event are now open. Register your interest in attending this online event .

We will be publishing video recordings of each webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about our archaeological work through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on  08081 434 434  or email  hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Before we build bridges, tunnels, tracks and stations, the largest archaeology programme ever undertaken in the UK is taking place along the line of route.

Our archaeology programme is continuing to unearth discoveries across our sites. To share information about these works and some of the exciting finds uncovered throughout construction we are launching a series of online archaeology events.

Designed for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own home our free, online meet the expert series will take you on a virtual tour of the route between Birmingham and London. Our team of archaeologists will reveal some of the stories that have been uncovered so far through photographs, footage and new imagery captured during archaeological excavations. You will be able to ask the team questions via a live Q&A chat option.

Registration for our first event is now open.

We will be publishing video recordings of each webinar online, so if you are not able to listen live you can still learn about our archaeological work through a dedicated playlist on the HS2 YouTube channel.

Over coming weeks we will be holding more online archaeology events to share details of exciting finds from across the line of route. We will publish details of these events, including how to register for tickets, on Friday 15 May. Subscribers to this website will receive an email alert.

For more information about this event or any of our forthcoming events please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We have recently made some changes to the HS2 in Birmingham website, to help improve the user experience and navigation of the site.

We have created a new, dedicated works in your area page, where all the notices for any current or ongoing works are shown, broken down by geographic areas within Birmingham. This brings all our work notifications in the Birmingham area together on one page, which makes it easier for you to navigate and easier for us to ensure all the notices are kept up-to-date.

The website landing page has changed so that our menu of pages are now shown, making it easier and quicker to find what you need. We've also added new pages and information on the following popular topics:

We will be continuing to update these pages as our construction activity in Birmingham progresses.

Our community websites are intended to provide you with relevant, local information about HS2 works and developments in your area. We would like to hear your views about our community websites and ideas you may have for improving them. To let us know your views, please complete our short online survey before 11:59 on Friday 29 May. The survey contains 7 questions and should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the recent changes or would like some help using this website, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

The number of community and business groups to receive awards from the HS2 community and business funds has topped over 100 with Twenty-six of those projects located in the West Midlands which total over £1.2 million of funding in the area. The Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) for Phase One, between London and the West Midlands, make a combined total of £40 million available to local communities and businesses disrupted by the construction of HS2.

Amongst the wide variety of projects being supported in the West Midlands is the Woodland Connection project run by Birmingham Trees for Life, part of the Birmingham Civic Society. The £44,500 grant has gone towards community tree planting sessions in urban spaces across the city. Many of these have been done in conjunction with schools, giving children opportunities to learn more about nature.

Other recipients include a project providing careers advice for people in the Alum Rock area of Birmingham, and a project supporting vulnerable women on the fringes of society in Washwood Heath.

As we work through the COVID-19 pandemic, the approval for the next stage of the project has meant that our contractors now have the go ahead to start building the new railway whilst remaining within the Public Health England (PHE) and industry guidelines. As part of our commitment to being a good neighbour, we realise that communities are affected by the construction of HS2, and the community and business funds are key to help offset the disruption caused.

As construction of HS2 gets underway, applications for the funds are still being welcomed. The Funds for Phase One, administered by community charity Groundwork UK, support urban and rural, community, environmental and business projects. Community and Business groups along the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands have been able to apply for funds since March 2017. 

A map of all awarded projects is available here . Some of the awards in the West Midlands include:

A series of videos and case studies about projects that have received HS2 funds can be found here.

The independent administration of these funds is managed on behalf of HS2 Ltd by the charity Groundwork who will ensure both funds remain available for applications throughout the construction of Phase One. Read the Groundwork annual review.

Community and business groups interested in applying for the fund can find out more at www.hs2funds.org.uk

The new landmark Curzon Street station in Birmingham, set to be one of the most environmentally-friendly railway stations in the world, has been given planning permission by Birmingham City Council.

Three planning applications for the new station and the surrounding landscaping were approved by the Council’s planning committee on 23 April, with the Council’s report concluding the station design “is truly world class”.

The new HS2 station will be net zero carbon in operation, and will adopt the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies including capturing rainwater and sustainable power generation, with over 2800m2 of solar panels located on platform canopies. It is designed to meet a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard which is an industry recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste, and minimise impact on the natural environment.

The design ensures accessibility and complements the local setting, with a focus on the open space and landscaping around it. Features include parkland lawns, rain gardens to capture water, wildflower grassland, insect and bird boxes, forest-scale tree planting across the site, and an area of new broadleaf woodland to provide a natural habitat for local wildlife.

Throughout January 2020, we shared the design for Curzon Street station at a series of events across Birmingham. In autumn 2018, we asked for your views on the design of the station. We held 15 events with over 1,750 attendees, and invited people to share their views by completing a survey. This included feedback on key design themes, such as accessibility, customer experience and the use of public spaces. The feedback was incorporated into the finalised the design of the station.

Curzon Street station will be the first brand new intercity terminus station built in Britain since the 19th century. It will create a new landmark for Birmingham and boost opportunities for regeneration in the city.

Visit the Curzon Street station page for more information about the station and its design.

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

On 15 April 2020, the Department for Transport gave approval for HS2 Ltd to issue Notice to Proceed to our four Main Works Civils Contractors (MWCC) working on Phase One of the project.

The issuing of Notice to Proceed marks the point in the MWCC contracts where work transitions from scheme design and preparatory work, to full detailed design and construction of the railway between London and the West Midlands.

You can find further information on both gov.uk and the HS2 website .

The four contractors along the phase one route – SCS Railways, Align JV, EKFB JV and BBV JV – will start the second stage of their contracts immediately, progressing detailed design, site preparation works and placing important sub-contracts. During this period, our contractors are continuously reviewing their ability to work within Public Health England guidelines to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce and the communities in which we are working.

We understand that some local communities are concerned about the impact of construction and we remain committed to being a good neighbour to anyone affected by our work.

You can find out Information about HS2 construction works during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic here.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

On Monday 6th April, we provided a notification about lane and footway closures on Moor St Queensway to carry out utilities installations. The notification for these works has been amended slightly. Dates and times of works remain the same.

This will include temporary lane and footway closures from the 14th of April for up to five weeks. Local pedestrian diversions will be in place and we’ll put up signage to explain these changes to road users and pedestrians. Lane closures will be in place during core working hours (8am to 6pm). Footway closures will be in place for the duration of the works.

For more information, please see the updated Moor Street Queensway notification, which includes a map.

This schedule is subject to change depending on site and weather conditions, and evolving measures to combat coronavirus . We’ll keep you informed of any adjustments at www.hs2inBirmingham.co.uk .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We will be carrying out lane and footway closures on Moor Street Queensway -

Over the coming months, we will continue to work on roads in central Birmingham to help us plan our future utility diversions and prepare for the construction of the railway. To carry out utilities installations safely, we need to manage traffic in the area.

This will include temporary lane and footway closures from the 14th of April for up to five weeks. Local pedestrian diversions will be in place and we’ll put up signage to explain these changes to road users and pedestrians. Lane closures will be in place during core working hours (8am to 6pm). Footway closures will be in place for the duration of the works.

For more information, please see the Moor Street Queensway notification, which includes a map showing the appropriate diversions.

This schedule is subject to change depending on site and weather conditions, and evolving measures to combat coronavirus . We’ll keep you informed of any adjustments at www.hs2inBirmingham.co.uk .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

On Monday 31 March, we notified you that LM would be carrying out demolition works within industrial land between Erskine and Viaduct Streets in Duddeston.

This news alert is to inform you that these works are now postponed and will not start this week.

These works are now anticipated to start late April/early May 2020.

We will keep you updated, of when work can start.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We previously notified you about some utility surveys in central Birmingham taking place in March and April 2020. You can read our previous works notification here.

The programme for the GPR surveys required on Priory Queensway and Moor Street Queensway has been revised. Surveys will now be starting on Sunday 5 April and core working hours are 10pm to 6am. This will require some overnight road and lane closures, as outlined below.

Priory Queensway (overnight road closure):

Expected start date: Sunday 5 April

Expected end date: Thursday 9 April

Moor Street Queensway (overnight phased lane closures)

Expected start date: Thursday 9 April

Expected end date: Thursday 23 April

Please see the full notification of these works in central Birmingham here, including a map, for more detail.

This schedule is subject to change depending on site and weather conditions, and evolving measures to combat coronavirus . We’ll keep you informed of any adjustments at: www.hs2inBirmingham.co.uk .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Early works to construct the new railway, is carried out by a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons, known as LM.

LM has set up a secure work site within the industrial land between Erskine and Viaduct Streets in Heartlands/Duddeston. We will soon start safely, demolishing several of the buildings within that work site.

Work is due to start in early April and will last for 12 weeks subject to weather, site and other conditions. Working hours will be Monday to Friday from 08:00 am to 18:00 pm and Saturday 08:00 am to 14:00 pm. You can view a copy of the works notification demolition at Erskine and Viaduct streets .

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

The health, safety and wellbeing of the communities along the route of the new railway, and our staff, remains our absolute priority.

We are working closely with our construction partners to review the works on our construction sites in line with Government and Public Health England (PHE) advice on dealing with COVID-19. The Government’s current COVID-19 strategy makes clear that construction activity can continue as long as it complies with this guidance.

Along the overall Phase One route, between London and the West Midlands, work at some of our sites has been paused as we complete this review. Some staff may be present to make the safety assessments and to ensure the sites remain safe and secure. Those sites that are still working are doing so because they can operate within PHE and construction industry guidelines, and will be monitored and remain under constant review.  

We do expect that work will restart at some of these sites where our contractors are confident that they can operate in line with PHE and industry guidance, protecting our staff and the communities in which they are working.

We have taken the decision to postpone all face-to-face engagement events and meetings during this period. We have been notifying local residents and putting in place alternative ways of communicating and engaging with communities over the coming weeks and months.

The HS2 Helpdesk remains operational all day, every day, and will be the public’s first point of contact should they need advice or information from HS2. You can contact the Helpdesk:

If you contact us by post there will be an extended delay in us receiving and responding due to the current circumstances.

Following UK Government advice to stop non-essential contact with other people, and avoid all unnecessary travel, we have taken the decision to postpone a number of face to face engagement events and meetings. You may already have received notifications about some of these. We have made this decision to support the government aim to reduce the time spent in public places and the amount of contact between people due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

We are looking at alternative ways of engaging and communicating with you over the coming weeks and months.

The HS2 Helpdesk remains operational all day, every day, and will be your first point of contact should you need advice or information from HS2.  You can contact the Helpdesk on:

Our Helpdesk Team will be in regular contact with community engagement managers, and will be able to put you in touch should you need to speak to your local team.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

As part of our works to prepare for HS2 in the Saltley area, we have temporarily closed the footpath on Aston Church Road, alongside the former Taroni site. This is so we can secure the fencing and ensure the safety of pedestrians.

The footpath closure will be in place 24 hours a day for approximately 2-3 weeks from 16 March 2020.

This means that if you walk along this part of Aston Church Road, you’ll see signs showing you how to move around the works.

This schedule is subject to on site and weather conditions , but we’ll keep you informed of any changes.

We will be carrying out phased lane closures and one overnight road closure in central Birmingham. This is to carry out utility surveys on a number of roads in the area.

The surveys will be carried out in phases, rather than all at once, to keep disruption to a minimum.

The works will start on the 15th March and end on the 14th April 2020. Access to properties will be maintained throughout the works. Local diversions will be in place and we’ll put up signage to explain these changes to road users and pedestrians.

For further information about the locations of these works, including a map, you can view the central Birmingham works notification.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We’re inviting primary schools close to the HS2 line of route to sign up for a free safety workshop that teaches children about the importance of staying safe around construction sites. Safety is one of our core values and we’re working with Arc Theatre to deliver Playing it Safe , an interactive workshop.

Playing it Safe has visited over 5,000 pupils so far since its launch in 2018 to teach them about the dangers present on construction sites and the surrounding areas, as well as the consequences of trespassing on those sites.The workshop is available to Years 5 and 6 with audiences of between 30 and 90 pupils, with each session lasting between 60-75 minutes. Arc Theatre can deliver up to two sessions in one school per day. The workshop is completely free of charge, but limited and offered to schools closest to the route. If you would like your local school to take part in this workshop please ask them to contact Nita@arctheatre.com or call 020 8595 8509.

For more information about our safety programme or the wider HS2 project you can contact our HS2 Helpdesk team team all day, every day on:

Western Power will be carrying out work on behalf of HS2 around Lawley Middleway and Watery Lane, from 2 March 2020. To construct the railway, it is necessary to divert a number of high voltage electricity cables, which are currently situated in the area of the proposed HS2 route.

Western Power Distribution have been requested to divert an existing high voltage cable through the realigned Lawley Middleway and Watery Lane road network.

The majority of construction work will be undertaken outside of normal working hours, 19:00 pm to 06:00 am Monday to Friday. There may be some weekend working.

Working at this time will minimise disruption to local businesses and residents. Access will be maintained for local residents to the surrounding area at all times.

Work will include some vegetation removal followed by excavation of a trench to relay the cables.

Location of works is shown above. You can access and view the notification diversion of utility cables around Lawley Middleway.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

In October 2019, we informed you about test piling surveys in Heartland Park, the post can be viewed here Test piling in Heartlands . These works were scheduled to take place in November. This post is to let you know that these works are postponed until summer 2020.

The test pile investigations were due to take place at the rear of Heartlands Park, close to Common Lane, Washwood Heath. When these investigations do to take place, they will cause minimum disruption to the local community.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

A new project has been awarded funding in Birmingham as part of the HS2 Community and Business Funds.

JABS B8 Football Academy will introduce new weekend football sessions for 25 local young people (aged 13-16), targeting some of the community’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged, including those at risk of exclusion from school, already excluded and disengaged with society.

The sessions will provide a regular, constructive activity within their community, and positive role models in the form of local volunteers who will talk to the young people on a weekly basis, building positive relationships providing guidance. Activities will involve skill development, challenge games and team building. Monthly workshops focused on citizenship and laying the foundations of employability will also be held at a community centre where anyone aged 13-16 can attend.

Our Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) for Phase One are worth £40 million. They give local communities and businesses disrupted by the construction of HS2 the opportunity to receive funding of up to £1 million for projects to improve their local area or support their local economy.

The community and business funds are administered and managed by independent community charity, Groundwork UK. For more information on Groundwork and the funds, including how to apply, visit https://hs2funds.org.uk/ .

You can also watch our short videos which explain how to best demonstrate that your project meets the criteria for the Community, Environment or Business Funds.

If you have any questions about the Community and Business Funds, HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We would like to invite your feedback on the design of HS2’s Common Design Elements planned for the Phase One route between the West Midlands and London.

Further to our post on the 2nd January, there's now just four days left to have your say. You can view the plans on the HS2 website and download an information booklet , before completing our quick online survey . The survey closes at 11pm on Thursday 30 January .

Common Design Elements are parts of the railway with a standardised appearance which will give it a recognisable look and make it more efficient to build. They include frequently used structures, such as bridge piers and parapets, as well as lineside noise barriers.

Since Parliament approved plans for the Phase One route in 2017, we've been developing the design of the new railway and now we need your views to help inform how we progress with the Common Design Elements.

If you have any questions about our Common Design Elements or HS2, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on  08081 434 434  or email  hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

We hope you can come along to one of the events listed on the 'upcoming events' page, to meet and talk to the community engagement team and the contractors working in your area.

Information on the events can be accessed here Events .

If you have any questions about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .

Early works to construct the new railway, is carried out by a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons, known as LM.

As part of LM’s work to prepare Birmingham for HS2, we will be carrying out ground investigations within our existing construction sites at Network Park and Saltley Business Park.

The work will begin on Monday 27 January and will involve breaking out concrete and drilling boreholes. This is preparatory work in readiness for the main works construction. Measures will be in place to mitigate any dust or noise created by these works.

We will be carrying out the work between 8am-6pm and we expect to be finished in around 6 weeks.

As all of the work will take place within HS2’s existing work sites, you may notice an increase in work activity during the day in these locations.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

From Monday 13 January , you may see our Early Work Contractor - LM a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons. LM is working within our site at Heartlands Park , as we carry out utilities works at the end of Common Lane, Washwood.

The work will be very low impact and will involve removing some of the HS2 hoarding on Common Lane to establish a temporary work site, before we carry ou