Arcadis Secures €90M HS2 Washwood Heath Depot Contract

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom – Arcadis has secured a design and programme management contract valued at over €90 million to support the delivery of High Speed 2’s (HS2) rolling stock depot and Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) at Washwood Heath. The consultant will support the Taylor Woodrow and Aureos Rail (TWA) consortium, which holds the primary €991 million construction contract awarded in May 2026. Work on the 30-hectare site is scheduled to begin immediately and will run through to 2033.

What Does This Contract Cover?

Arcadis will deliver engineering design, risk management, technical support, and integrated project governance for the 30-hectare Washwood Heath maintenance and control facility. The contract supports the TWA consortium’s delivery of a central operations hub containing maintenance facilities, automated vehicle inspection systems, stabling sidings, and a high-speed test track. Additionally, the site will house the Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC), which will oversee all HS2 train movements. While the total construction value of the complex is €991 million, the exact breakdown of Arcadis’s €90 million fee between design and programme management services was not disclosed by the consortium.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

The €90 million contract represents one of Arcadis’s largest single rail design awards in the UK, building on its broader €160 million portfolio of public sector consultancy wins secured across 2024 and 2025, including the Scottish council consultancy framework (Source: Construction Enquirer, 2026). At a broader level, the Washwood Heath facility sits alongside a newly announced HS2 market engagement exercise targeting £1.24 billion (€1.45 billion) in interim maintenance contracts spanning 2027 to 2037 (Source: Construction News, 2026). This €90 million design contract is highly concentrated on a single 30-hectare site, whereas the upcoming £1.24 billion maintenance packages will cover route-wide asset protection and routine repairs across the entire phase one network.

Editor’s Analysis

Securing this major design role positions Arcadis at the center of the UK’s shifting rail delivery model, which is undergoing a government-backed “HS2 reset” designed to stabilize long-term capital expenditure. This long-term contract running to 2033 provides the consultant with stable revenue during a period of broader high-speed rail market expansion, where the global rolling stock market is projected to reach USD 53.57 billion by 2025 (Source: Fortune Business Insights, 2025). The integrated depot and NICC will act as the operational anchor for the London-to-Birmingham corridor, making its timely execution critical to proving the viability of the scaled-back HS2 network.

FAQ

Q: Who is building the HS2 rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath?
A: The Taylor Woodrow and Aureos Rail (TWA) consortium is building the depot under a €991 million construction contract. Arcadis will act as the lead design and programme management consultant under a separate contract valued at over €90 million.

Q: What is the timeline for the Washwood Heath HS2 depot project?
A: Work is scheduled to begin immediately in 2026 and is planned to continue until completion in 2033. The depot will then support operations for the high-speed rail network’s London-to-Birmingham route.

Q: How will the Washwood Heath facility affect HS2 train operations?
A: The 30-hectare site will serve as the sole dedicated depot for servicing and maintaining the HS2 high-speed train fleet. It will also house the Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC), which will control all train movements on the London–Birmingham corridor.