HS2 reveals outdoor factory and training academy in Warwickshire
The first pictures have emerged from HS2’s giant construction compound in Kingsbury, Warwickshire.
The 550,000m2 site is run by HS2’s civil partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), and will soon become the workplace for around 1,000 people tasked with building the high speed rail line on a network of viaducts crossing motorways, roads and footpaths.
David Speight, Client Project Director at HS2 said: “This site at Kingsbury is a fantastic demonstration of the importance HS2 Ltd puts on training and developing local talent to build the new railway.
“With the reveal of the site today we are turbo-charging the arrival of HS2 services into the West Midlands, bringing enormous capacity and connectivity benefits to the transport network around Birmingham.”
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The firm also revealed the scale of works preparing to build the Delta Junction, the triangular section of line where the new railway curves west towards Birmingham and runs north towards Crewe.
In total, 2,742 segments will be produced from materials mixed at the on-site batching plant and at peak production, the pre-cast yard is expected to turn out up to eight segments per day, weighing between 60 and 80 tonnes.
Production is expected to begin in August, with on-site assembly of the segments for the Delta Junction viaducts due to start next summer.
Jo Chell, Head of Delivery Programme Management at BBV, said: “It’s incredible to see the progress we’re making at Kingsbury to produce thousands of segments that will form the building blocks for nearly 7km of viaducts, known as the Delta Junction.
“I’m immensely proud of the team who designed and built the site. Ensuring sustainability was a fundamental part of the design and we have established several hectares of wildflower meadows and wetland, together with valuable bat habitat, all within the site boundaries.”
Have you seen our giant factory and training academy in #Warwickshire? Equivalent to 74 football pitches ⚽, our Kingsbury site will be the workplace for around 1,000 people tasked with building the #HS2 line on a network of viaducts crossing motorways, road and footpaths. pic.twitter.com/jJWVLYMtkb
— HS2 Ltd (@HS2ltd) June 27, 2022
Work is currently underway to assemble a 54 metre-long gantry crane that will lift each segment during the manufacturing cycle, ahead of their onward transport to nearby Water Orton and Coleshill ready for on-site assembly. The short distance from the Kingsbury site and onsite construction method will help to reduce the number of vehicle movements in line with HS2’s environmental commitments.
Each component part of the build requires a highly skilled workforce and BBV opted to locate its latest Skills Academy at the site to ensure its workforce is expertly trained for the programme of work ahead.
Vicki Lovatt, BBV’s head of learning and development, said: “Amongst the hive of construction activity, this site is also home to our new Kingsbury Skills Academy, which is already playing a key role in developing our people and making sure they have the right skills to help build HS2.
“Being on the doorstep of where HS2 is actually being built makes it the perfect environment for our learners and ensures the training and development programmes we deliver feel real. It’s a great asset not only for the project, but for the region too, helping to upskill local communities and launch careers in construction and engineering.”
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