HS2 Construction Updates - Birmingham Area

[Snow1964]

New drone video of HS2 works near Streethay Lichfield

Quite a big cut and cover under bridge, under a main road and slip roads, but not lot of other earthworks visible yet.

 

[Geogregor]

Another push of the viaducts at the Delta Junction:

x.com

x.com

 

[Snow1964]

He played for the bluenoses just down the road.

Seems the coloured light artwork on the Bridge is called Out of the Blue

The viaduct includes a unique light installation, designed by British artist Liz West, which will introduce a dynamic colour palette to the apertures of the steel truss, framing views of the city. Titled Out of the Blue, the proposed public artwork will create a dramatic feature in Birmingham’s urban landscape.

The bridge will have 3 tracks, and there are 5 connected viaducts

As the gateway to Birmingham, high speed trains will travel out of the west portal of the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel at Washwood Heath and onto the one mile long stretch of five connected viaducts - Duddeston Junction, Curzon 1, Curzon 2, Lawley Middleway and Curzon 3 which links onto the platforms of Curzon Street Station.

Balfour Beatty VINCI completes construction of huge piers for HS2’s “Bellingham Bridge”

www.balfourbeatty.com

 

[Snow1964]

New HS2 video on river Tame West viaduct's construction

 

[Snow1964]

New HS2 video on moving the Aston Church Road over bridge into position, which also spans existing tracks

 

[Geogregor]

Flyover about the Curzon station site:

 

[Fazaar1889]

Flyover about the Curzon station site:

Will they open the other two platforms at Birmingham Moor Street? The new HS2 station will absolutely increase demand for services there.

 

[zwk500]

Will they open the other two platforms at Birmingham Moor Street? The new HS2 station will absolutely increase demand for services there.

Moor Street is planned to have the bays open for the Camp Hill line services as part of Midlands Rail Hub. There is also a proposal to open new platforms on the other side for extra services towards Leicester. Not sure how far it's 'officially' got.

 

[Fazaar1889]

Moor Street is planned to have the bays open for the Camp Hill line services as part of Midlands Rail Hub. There is also a proposal to open new platforms on the other side for extra services towards Leicester. Not sure how far it's 'officially' got.

Thanks

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It seems to be coming on quite nicely. Thanks for the updates everyone.

 

[snowball]

Network Rail press release with video.

In the video we are looking at the Brum to Water Orton line near Duddeston Mill Road. The first 42 seconds (and the two still photos) are looking towards central Brum, the rest is looking away. The two easternmost tracks have been realigned with a wiggle, requiring a new bridge span over DM Road, to create space for a pier for a viaduct which will carry HS2 at high level and high skew.

Duddeston track improvements August 2024

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

The railway between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway reopened today (Tuesday 27 August) after major track upgrades to improve journeys and in preparation for HS2 – Britain’s new high-speed railway.

Engineers worked around the clock during a carefully planned ten-day closure of the railway, which started on Saturday 17 August. The work involved relocating a railway signal and moving a section of track across a new bridge at Duddeston Mill Road built by HS2 and its contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI.

As well as providing passengers and freight services with smoother journeys in Duddeston from today, the changes to the track layout will allow HS2 to build a new viaduct which will carry high speed trains into Birmingham Curzon Street station in the future.

In Washwood Heath, Network Rail engineers also replaced 450 metres of track and two 'crossovers' which are sections of track that enable trains to move from one line to another. A third crossover was relocated to help improve the flow of trains through the area. The vital upgrades will mean smoother and more reliable for passengers and freight services.

 

[Snow1964]

The upcoming work in Birmingham area is listed (with maps) in these mid August look ahead document.

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Summer-2024-Construction-look-ahead-Birmingham.pdf

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Summer-2024-Construction-look-ahead-Warwickshire.pdf

 

[Snapper]

There's been a media visit to the HS2 construction site at Bromford in Birmingham today. A few of us were there so here's a blog and pictures. The irony? I travelled there from Manchester and returned via Leeds. The two sections of HS2 that have been mothballed/cancelled. On both routes the 'alternative' is...'Voyagers'.

https://paulbigland.blog/2024/08/28/rol ... derground/

 

[bib]

Compilation of videos from around Birmingham, not sure of the dates but they appear to be fairly recent

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Compilation of videos from around Birmingham, not sure of the dates but they appear to be fairly recent

Excellent footage really helps show the challenge of threading the railway through a conurbation.

 

[masekwm]

Drone footage of Curzon Street

Stills from the visit:

 

[Fazaar1889]

Drone footage of Curzon Street

Stills from the visit:

View attachment 164700


View attachment 164701

Surrounding area looks pleasant

 

[Geogregor]

Some of my shots from the weekend visit in Birmingham (first time in something like 20 years).
The Curzon Street station site is damn huge. And really close to the centre.


P1880934 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


P1880953 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


P1880954 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240831_121703 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240831_121830 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240831_121836 by Geogregor*, on Flickr

 

[Snow1964]

Looks like another viaduct slide this coming weekend.

Hs2 contractors are building viaducts over the M42/M6 link roads, Water Orton, North Warwickshire.

Closure​

HS2 contractors will need a full weekend closure of East and Westbound carriageways.

The closure will run from Saturday 7 September 3am to Monday 9 September 5am.

Eastbound​

The closure will be in place from the M6 southbound junction 4a closing access to the M42 northbound and southbound.

Westbound​

The closure will be in place from the M42 southbound at junction 8 to the M6 northbound at junction 4a.

High Speed 2 (HS2) works on National Highways network - National Highways

Information about High Speed 2 (HS2) works on National Highways network

nationalhighways.co.uk

 

[Geogregor]

Great overview:

 

[Snow1964]

New drone views of Cut and cover section of Bromford tunnel.
Appears to clearly show where the tunnel diverges into two routes

 

[snowball]

New drone views of Cut and cover section of Bromford tunnel.
Appears to clearly show where the tunnel diverges into two routes

Prior to the eastward lengthening of the Bromford tunnel, there was to be a structure called the Attleboro flyover (named after the nearby Attleboro Lane or Attleboro Farm, Water Orton) at the western corner of the delta junction, to enable the track used by trains from the north to Curzon Street to cross the track used by trains from Curzon Street to London.

Snow1964's video seems to show that the eastern cut-and-cover end of the tunnel now extends far enough eastward to become involved with the flyover.

Is there any plan or render showing what is currently proposed for the junction and how much of it will be underground?

 

[Snow1964]

Prior to the eastward lengthening of the Bromford tunnel, there was to be a structure called the Attleboro flyover (named after the nearby Attleboro Lane or Attleboro Farm, Water Orton) at the western corner of the delta junction, to enable the track used by trains from the north to Curzon Street to cross the track used by trains from Curzon Street to London.

Snow1964's video seems to show that the eastern cut-and-cover end of the tunnel now extends far enough eastward to become involved with the flyover.

Is there any plan or render showing what is currently proposed for the junction and how much of it will be underground?

I just linked the video, it is not mine.

There is one bit where it looks like a cut and cover void under the cut and cover trackbed, might just be a drainage sump, but could there be a diveunder which then rejoins before the bored section.

I might be viewing it wrongly but appears to be extra width which suggests third track runs for part of cut and cover section

 

[chris2]

Just had a little look around...found this document from 2021 that shows the Bromford Tunnel portal in its confirmed location and the Attleboro flyover still showing.

Image copied from page 15-16



Also, this planning letter makes mention of it and has some planning drawings in the appendix (scroll to the very last page).

 

[snowball]

Thanks, the last diagram, viewed at high magnification via the link to the planning letter, is easily relatable to the video and answers all my questions.

 

[Geogregor]

 

[Snow1964]

New HS2 video, on sliding second viaduct deck last weekend, which forms part of the delta junction

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The scale of this is just mind-blowing. Thanks for uploading.

 

[Geogregor]

Piling rigs on site at Curzon Street


20240913_114207 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07650 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07662 by Geogregor*, on Flickr

Other shots from the area:
20240913_115334 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_115141 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07670 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07684 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07688 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_121257 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07693 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


DSC07695 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_121438 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_121524 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_155203 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_155214 by Geogregor*, on Flickr


20240913_155220 by Geogregor*, on Flickr

 

[Fazaar1889]

Lovely images. Can't wait for it to open

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Sep 2024 ==


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Sep 2024 ==

New concept shots of Curzon Street:

HS2 News and Information - Media gallery

News and information from HS2 for the media

mediacentre.hs2.org.uk