HS2: progress on Birmingham's Curzon Station pictured as viaducts are secured

Birmingham's Curzon Street Station is now underway after images have been released showing the building process. Concrete has been poured to create the first two 90m (295ft) "deck" structures, and construction of two further sections running alongside them was advanced, HS2 said.

The station, which will be the heart for high-speed trains in the West Midlands, will be the northern terminus of HS2, located in Birmingham city centre. It will have seven terminal platforms and is due to open in 2026.

Over 2,000 cubic metres, was delivered and poured during night-time operations to minimise the impact on roads by workers, to create the first two 96-metre deck structures. More than 11,000 cubic metres of concrete will need to be poured to complete the whole 300m (984ft)-long viaduct. A total of 26 "piers" - up to 6m (20ft) tall and supporting the flat sections - have also been built, and four large "steel tripods" are being constructed to carry the viaduct over the Digbeth Canal.

Next summer, workers will complete the span over the canal using jacks to slide 34 temporary steel girders, each 38 metres long, below the four steel tripods to support the formwork and further deck construction, work will begin on Curzon Street station next year.

David King, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “It's fantastic to see this iconic viaduct taking shape in central Birmingham. This is one of our busiest construction sites, as we now reach peak construction on key HS2 structures across the Midlands, with over 9,750 people in the region working on the project.”

“The design of the viaduct is part of our vision to maximise social and economic development opportunities around Curzon Street Station. Widening to four separate decks near the station will maximise daylight underneath the viaduct, creating opportunities for usable and flexible public space.”

Lenka Vosvrdova, Curzon Street Site Agent at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “We're extremely proud of the significant progress our team have made on the Curzon Street Viaduct site. Since we revealed the first giant pier in January this year, we have successfully constructed 26 new concrete piers, with the first sections of the four-span viaduct also nearing completion. Over the coming months, works will ramp up on the series of viaducts in Birmingham, as we continue to build structures over Digbeth Canal, Lawley Middleway and the original Victorian railway line.”