A new £370 million HS2 station will bring around 1,000 jobs to the West Midlands, the region's mayor Andy Street has said.
Construction work preparing the land for the HS2 Interchange station, 1.2 miles east of Birmingham Airport, has begun and is due to be completed in 2026. The station will be connected to the neighbouring NEC campus, Birmingham International railway station and airport by an automated people mover.
Construction giant Laing O’Rourke was awarded the building contract for Interchange earlier in the summer. The new station has been designed to use natural ventilation, daylight, solar power and rainwater harvested from its roof.
Mr Street has previously said that HS2 has a "critical role to play in the West Midlands' economic recovery by driving investment and helping to provide tens of thousands of jobs".
He added: "Given the climate emergency the West Midlands is facing, it is also great to see how eco-friendly these plans are.
Mr Street described the station as "transformational for the Midlands economy", adding that "opportunities for people and businesses in the region are being created right now, years before the station is open".
He said there would be 22 apprenticeships on offer as part of the project while businesses can bid for supply chain contracts in construction-related services, as well as catering, specialist equipment supply and manufactured components.
Planning permission was secured two years ago while building work on the site is set to start in 2024. Interchange is one of four brand new stations being built for the first phase of HS2 between London and Birmingham.
The others are in Curzon Street, in Birmingham city centre, and at Old Oak Common and Euston in London.
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