HS2 gets planning approval for Washwood Heath depot

Birmingham City Council has given approval for HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot, north-east of Birmingham city centre.

The facility will be where HS2 trains will be maintained, serviced and stored when not in use, and includes the Maintenance Building, Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) and Cleaners and Drivers Building.

All the buildings have been designed to celebrate engineering and provide sustainable working, as well as outdoor amenity spaces for staff.

Richard Kirkham, HS2’s Light Systems Programme Client said: “We’re pleased that Birmingham City Council’s planning committee has approved our plans for the HS2 depot at Washwood Heath, marking a significant milestone for HS2 in the Midlands.

“Over 550 jobs will be created by the Depot’s operations in a range of disciplines including facilities management, fleet management, production, depot drivers and cleaning. We’re working closely with Birmingham City Council and other stakeholders to maximise these job opportunities for people in the local area.”

The Maintenance Building will be the primary hub of operations within the site, used to maintain the HS2 train fleet along with facilities to store materials and equipment. It includes office accommodation, workshops and staff welfare facilities.

The Network Integrated Control Centre will oversee the whole HS2 network and is located centrally within the Washwood Heath depot site. This will be a standalone building, designed to accommodate the operational and management functions of the HS2 network.

The Cleaners and Drivers Building is located in the depot’s western area and will host facilities for train servicing teams and driver training. This building will be linked to the stabling yard area, where trains will be cleaned and replenished, ready for passenger service.