Interchange
Interchange Station will serve Solihull, Birmingham Airport and the NEC. Its design focuses on sustainability.
The new HS2 Interchange Station will be part of a new public transport interchange serving Solihull and the West Midlands, with links to local roads and the UK motorway network, making it one of the best-connected places in the UK.
The new HS2 station, to be built near Solihull and the NEC in the West Midlands, has become the first railway station globally to achieve the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification – a measure of sustainability for new and refurbished buildings – putting it in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials.
The station has been designed to maximise views over the surrounding Arden landscape, providing a pleasant passenger experience. We have designed the roof to maximise natural daylight and capture rainwater for recycling, which will reduce the demand for electricity and water.
Station design
Interchange Station itself will be made up of two 415-metre long island platforms, offering four platform faces, as well as two central high-speed through lines for non-stopping services. The station will be linked to the NEC, Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport via an Automated People Mover (APM) carrying up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction. In addition to the APM, the station will be fully integrated with local buses, taxis and private vehicle options.
Interchange focuses on sustainability, maximising natural daylight and ventilation and a station roof design which can capture and reuse rainwater. The station will be built to achieve a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard and zero carbon emissions from day-to-day energy consumption. The designs have also now incorporated sunken rain gardens in the public plaza and an outdoor terrace to the station concourse. Another key change is the creation of a dedicated pedestrian access into the station from the east of the railway, along with cycle access to the new station from the north, west and south-east, through a mixture of dedicated routes.
Station construction
Laing O’Rourke Delivery Limited will build HS2’s new Interchange Station in Solihull, at the heart of Britain’s new high speed rail network, set to bring economic growth to the West Midlands economy.
The contract, which is worth up to £370m, will see them work with HS2 Ltd in two stages to finalise the detailed design and then build the landmark station over the next few years.
The construction site for the station covers an area of 150 hectares within a triangle of land formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Significant progress has already been made on the site, including construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446 as part of a remodelled road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station.
HS2’s Main Works Contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI are currently preparing the site where the new station will be built.
Landscape
The strategy for the site has been developed to reflect the surrounding Arden landscape character. Trees and hedgerows will be retained where possible, and tree planting is proposed to provide screening along the edge of the site.
A drainage pond will be located next to the station. The pond will be landscaped to encourage biodiversity and will be visible from both the APM stop and Interchange Station concourse.
During the design process, we have carefully considered how we can minimise impact on the natural environment, including the Hollywell Brook and protected wildlife species.
Additionally, we have moved the APM maintenance facility to a location near the M42 since the plans were originally developed, reducing the length of the viaduct and minimising environmental impacts.
Car parking design update
Laing O’Rourke, HS2’s construction partner, contracted to build Interchange station, have submitted a planning application to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC). The applications seek approval for revised plans for car parking provision at the Interchange station site.
The applications are for a reduced number of long stay, surface level car parking spaces as a result of further design development and engagement with key stakeholders in the area. The proposal is for 4,500 long stay spaces, rather than 7,400.
The application focuses on the reduction of the number of spaces, the redesign of the drop and go area and the transportation hub and the removal of an internal road. The station, platform and bridges remain as per the consented design.
This proposal sets the baseline for car parking at Interchange Station to ensure there is appropriate parking for HS2 users. Laing O’Rourke and HS2 will continue to work with stakeholder partners in the area.
Interchange station car park timeline
High Speed Rail Bill for Phase 1 deposited to Parliament. This included a proposal for a surface car park at Interchange Station.
2013Planning applications submitted to Solihull MBC for Interchange Station, APM surrounding landscaping and car parking.
2020A UGC and DfT study concludes that 4,500 spaces are sufficient for HS2 Interchange car park and agree to retire a proposed multi-storey option.
2023A planning application for a 4,500 surface car parking option submitted to Solihull MBC for approval.
September 2023
Kick-starting regeneration
Through the design of the station and an evolving masterplan, HS2 will play a vital role, along with key local stakeholders including the West Midlands Combined Authority, in creating a new growth area around the high-speed rail station.
The huge growth plans around the site 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. The vision for The Hub is to create Europe’s best-connected destination for business, leisure and living; a new and outstanding gateway to the UK.
Inward investment has created more jobs in the West Midlands than any other region outside London. The West Midlands Combined Authority’s HS2 Growth Strategy has the potential to add £14 billion to the regional economy and support 100,000 jobs. HS2 is working with Solihull Council, West Midlands Combined Authority and regional stakeholders to ensure that the region achieves the full potential of HS2.