The Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council gave the planning approval for HS2 Birmingham Interchange station and its surrounding landscape, along with the Automated People Mover.
The Council’s planning team said that the design of the station “draws upon the historic and agricultural character of the local area and delivers a strong sense of place and identity through its architectural form and the design of its landscape.”
The Interchange station design focuses on sustainability and makes use of renewable technologies, and in operation, the station will use natural ventilation, will maximize the natural daylight, while the roof design will capture and reuse rainwater. The station will use solar energy to cut carbon.
The station, which will be at the heart of the HS2 network in the Midlands, recently became the first railway station globally to achieve the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification at the design stage, a measure of sustainability for new and refurbished buildings, putting it in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials.
“We’re extremely pleased to receive approval for the design of Interchange station, which will be net zero carbon in operation, and adopts the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies. The operation of our stations will play a key role in the UK’s fight against climate change and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” HS2’s Stations Director Matthew Botelle said.
HS2’s design consultants ARUP have worked closely with their landscape architects Churchman Thornhill Finch to develop a design which celebrates the local context and biodiversity of its native landscape associated with the Forest of Arden.
The Interchange station will be made up of two 415 metre long island platforms, offering 4 platform faces, as well as 2 central high-speed through lines for non-stopping services.
The Automated People Mover will link to the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport, carrying up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction, with a service every three minutes along a 2.3 km route.
The Interchange station construction contract is expected to be awarded in 2022 with major construction works scheduled to start in 2024.
The new station will be the best-connected place in the UK by rail, road and air with customers able to reach London Euston in just 38 minutes.
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