A huge new station on a 350 acre site in central Birmingham has been proposed for HS2. Birmingham City Council aims to make Birmingham Curzon station one of the biggest urban regeneration schemes in Britain.
Says Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham Council, ‘Today we set out our vision for how Birmingham can use HS2 as a catalyst to transform a huge part of our city, bringing with it jobs and prosperity for people in the West Midlands. We’re not waiting around for HS2 to get built before we get started.
‘We’re announcing our plans today, and we’re ready to start building as soon as the new railway gets the green light. Up and down the length of HS2 there is huge potential for major regeneration and development and we must press forward with this project without delay.’
HS2’s Chief Executive, Alison Munro, welcomed the move. ‘This is exactly the kind of ambitious plan that will stimulate the public – private sector partnerships needed to unlock investment. HS2 offers a great opportunity for investment and jobs around the station, and for the wider region. We are committed to working closely with Greater Birmingham partners and the local Eastside and Digbeth communities to bring this scheme to life and to help ensure that the most is made of the opportunities that HS2 brings.’
The old Curzon Street Station building still survives and will be included in the new development. Believed to be the oldest railway terminus in the world it was once a vibrant hub of trade and industry.
The surviving station entrance building is Grade I listed. The rest of the buildings and platforms have been long since demolished and the building itself is empty.
The Curzon HS2 Masterplan is the latest in a series of major projects that are remaking Birmingham’s city centre. The £600 million transformation of New Street Station will be completed next year along with a £128 million Midland Metro extension linking the station with the existing tram line at Snow Hill. The new station will be served by trams on a new route branching off the extension currently being built through the city centre.
