A BRAND new high-speed rail terminal is currently under construction in the UK.
The £460 million site is set to open in 2030 and will link two major cities as part of the HS2 rail network.
Birmingham’s Curzon Street station will be home to this new high-speed terminus, linking the city with London in just 49 minutes.
Located east of Birmingham city centre, the modern hub will be situated beside the old Curzon Street Station building, which was built in 1839 and is set to be restored as a historic landmark.
The new station is currently undergoing major construction work, with will seven platforms planned, as well as measures to integrate local transport.
Its layout, including the curved roof structure, has been inspired by previous Victorian designs.
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The latest visuals of the new station show a newly paved square at the entrance, as well as a terrace and gardens at the rear.
Station Square will have a green area and be known as the “front door” of the station while Curzon Square will be the space for outdoor events.
Curzon Promenade will have cycle and walking paths that links the station to the Eastside City Park while Paternoster Place will have paths and “urban space”.
The new travel hub will be the first new train station built since the 19th century, with the last being London Marylebone in 1899.
Huw Edwards, the station’s executive director for HS2, previously said: “What is being built at Curzon is the first mainline terminus in a city centre for over 130 years.”
While the HS2 station is still a few years from completion, the rail hub is already expected to play a pivotal role in Birmingham, helping to improve connections and support the city’s growth.
What is HS2?
HS2, which stands for High Speed 2, is a project that aims to create a high-speed rail network between London and major cities in the Midlands and Northern England.
It is the biggest rail investment ever made in the North of England and is Europe’s largest infrastructure project.
New trains will run on HS2 lines with a top speed of 225 miles per hour – the aim is to cut journey times and make it easier to travel across England.
Last year, then-PM Rishi Sunak decided to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the line.
It is now hoped that the train will run to Euston despite dears this route would also be scrapped.
