Company News | 12 May 2026
Aureos, in joint venture with Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure, has been appointed by HS2 Ltd to deliver the Washwood Heath Rolling Stock Depot and Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) in Birmingham under a contract worth around £856 million.
The project will transform the 70-hectare former LDV and Metro-Cammell site on the outskirts of the city into a major operational hub for Britain’s new high-speed railway and a significant long-term investment in the region.
The development includes a 30-hectare depot that will support the maintenance, servicing and overnight stabling of HS2’s train fleet. The facility will include a Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, Carriage Wash, Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building, sidings and a dedicated test track.
Alongside the depot, the NICC will serve as the operational control centre for the railway, helping manage train dispatch, communications with drivers and the smooth running of services. Office space and facilities for drivers and cleaners will also be delivered, while the remaining land will be released for commercial development, green space and wildlife habitat.
The scheme is expected to support around 500 construction jobs during delivery and around 1,000 permanent roles once the depot is operational. That scale of opportunity matters in Washwood Heath, where 2021 Census data shows roughly 77% of households experience deprivation in at least one dimension. HS2 has also said the wider programme is expected to generate a £10 billion economic uplift around Birmingham’s two major stations and the depot over the next 10 years, highlighting the broader regeneration potential of the investment.
For Aureos, Washwood Heath is a strong fit with our rail systems and digital engineering capabilities. We will work closely with HS2 Ltd, our joint venture partner and the future operator to finalise requirements, complete the design, and then build, test and commission the depot and NICC. With enabling works already advanced on site, the project now moves into its next major phase of delivery.
Darren James, Chief Executive Officer of Aureos, said:
“We are thoroughly pleased to be awarded the Washwood Heath contract.
This project is the most complex and critical part of the HS2 infrastructure and Aureos brings deep rail systems and digital engineering capability to deliver a depot and NICC designed around data, automation and whole life asset performance from the outset.
We are looking forward to demonstrating exemplar delivery of the contract by working closely with HS2, our JV partner, the supply chain and all other stakeholders.”
