HS2 has confirmed that Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure Ltd and Aureos Rail Ltd, operating as the TWA joint venture, will build the high-speed railway’s control centre and rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath in Birmingham under a contract worth around £856 million.

The development will transform the former LDV and Metro-Cammell works, a 70-hectare brownfield site, into a major business and logistics hub expected to support more than 1,000 long-term jobs. Around 500 temporary construction roles are also expected during the build phase.

The depot will cover around 30 hectares and include a Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, a carriage wash, an Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building, overnight stabling sidings, and a test track for HS2 trains. The site will also house the Network Integrated Control Centre, where staff will manage train dispatch, communicate with drivers and oversee railway operations.

Additional buildings will provide office space and facilities for drivers and cleaners, while the remaining land will be leased for commercial development, green space and wildlife habitat.

The contract reflects progress on the wider HS2 programme as the project undergoes a reset under chief executive Mark Wild, aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs. 

The Washwood Heath site has a long railway history, having produced rolling stock for more than a century. Avanti West Coast’s Pendolino trains were among the last built there before the works closed in 2005. Preparatory work by Balfour Beatty is already underway.

“We are extremely proud to have been selected to deliver the Washwood Heath Depot and NICC for HS2. This is a landmark project of national importance and a clear endorsement of Taylor Woodrow’s expertise in delivering complex, safety‑critical rail and infrastructure schemes.

“We look forward to working closely with HS2 Ltd and our supply chain partners to create a world‑class depot that will play a vital role in the operation of Britain’s new high‑speed railway, while leaving a positive and lasting legacy for skills, employment and the local community.”

Phil Skegg, Managing Director of Taylor Woodrow.

“We are thoroughly pleased to be awarded the Washwood Heath contract.

“This project is the most complex and critical part of the HS2 infrastructure and Aureos brings deep rail systems and digital engineering capability to deliver a depot and NICC designed around data, automation and whole life asset performance from the outset.

“We are looking forward to demonstrating exemplar delivery of the contract by working closely with HS2, our JV partner, the supply chain and all other stakeholders.”

Darren James, Chief Executive Officer of Aureos.