High Speed Two (HS2) in the UK has received Schedule 17 approval from the Birmingham City Council for its maintenance facility and main control centre for the whole HS2 network.
Under the HS2 Phase One Act 2017, the approval is granted for HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot, which will be used for maintenance, service and storage of HS2 trains when not in use.
The depot consists of a maintenance building, a network integrated control centre (NICC) and a cleaners and drivers building.
HS2’s Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) has provided designs for all the buildings.
The maintenance building will serve as the primary hub of operations within the site. It will be used to maintain the HS2 train fleet along with facilities to store materials and equipment.
The building also covers office accommodation, workshops and staff welfare facilities.
Situated centrally within the Washwood Heath depot site, the network integrated control centre will oversee the whole HS2 network. It will help accommodate the operational and management functions of the HS2 network.
Located in the depot’s western area, the cleaners and drivers building will house facilities for train servicing teams and driver training.
The stabling yard area, which is situated towards the west side of the depot site, will be used to park the trains when not in operation.
HS2’s design director Kay Hughes said: “Good functional design has been a vital part of developing the plans for the Depot, including ensuring this new large-scale facility contributes to improving a significant area on the outskirts of Birmingham, and streamlining operations for the railway.
“Our design team have worked closely with the Council to make sure we deliver the right design for the local area, which we can all be proud of.”
