HS2 has awarded an £856M contract to a joint venture between Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure and Aureos Rail

Building the railway’s new control centre and rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

The project includes train maintenance facilities, a carriage wash, inspection building, stabling sidings and a test track.

The site will also become home to HS2’s new Network Integrated Control Centre, where staff will oversee railway operations, communicate with drivers and manage train dispatch.

Additional office space and staff facilities will be built, while surrounding land will be opened up for commercial development, green spaces and wildlife habitats.

The development is expected to create around 1,000 permanent jobs, along with 500 construction roles during the build.

The contract award comes as HS2 continues a major “reset” programme under chief executive Mark Wild, aimed at improving delivery and reducing costs. Before approval, the project underwent reviews focused on readiness, governance and lessons learned from previous HS2 and Crossrail contracts.