HS2 High Speed Line – United Kingdom

After working on HS1, the first high speed line in the United Kingdom, SYSTRA is a key player in the HS2 (High Speed 2) project, as part of two joint ventures, showcasing its digital design solutions, providing robust and efficient services to drive maximum value.

The HS2 project launched by the UK government will create a new high speed railway linking up London, the Midlands and the North, serving eight of Britain’s 10 largest cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Set to transport 30 million passengers, this network will reinforce railway capacity in the UK while creating significant economic benefits for regions and populations. It is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure programmes.

In 2017, SYSTRA was selected by the Balfour Beatty-VINCI joint venture (JV) for the civil engineering design of lots N1 and N2, in a 50:50 design joint venture (DJV) with Mott MacDonald (MSD). With a total length of 90km, these two lots are the biggest, most complex, and most northern of phase 1 of the project, including the spur into the centre of Birmingham and linking the new line to the existing West Coast Main Line network in Staffordshire.

In 2019, as part of a Tier 1 JV with Balfour Beatty and VINCI (BBVS), SYSTRA won the contract as Construction Delivery Partner for the new station of Old Oak Common, the largest railway station to be built in London for a century. This future hub will be the best connected in the country, directly serving three airports and eight of the 10 biggest cities in Britain. The station will have rapid and efficient connections with HS2 (six underground platforms), the new Crossrail services, the existing Great Western Main Line intercity networks (eight ground-level networks) and the North London Line, as well as the metro’s Central Line. Situated in a fast developing neighbourhood, Old Oak Common will contribute to the creation of up to 65,000 jobs and 5,500 homes.

OUR EXPERTISE IN LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE

HS2 trains will travel between London and Birmingham on 134 mi (215 km) of dedicated track. They will pass through 31 mi (49 km) of tunnels and over 10 mi (16 km) of viaducts. Once operational, HS2 will serve over 25 stations connecting around 30 million people. Water Orton No.1&2 Viaducts are two long continuous single-track concrete box girder viaducts which carry High Speed 2 lines over significant major transport links (motorways, railway lines) and also the River Tame and its floodplain. The viaducts have a precast concrete posted tensioned segmental deck supported on in-situ concrete piers and abutments which have piled foundations.  

Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Viaduct is a five spans composite structure composed of three deck sections of total length 235 m (770 ft). The superstructure comprises a composite deck formed from a welded steel dual I-girder and precast/cast-in-situ reinforced concrete deck slab units.