HS2 is the UK’s biggest infrastructure project, and investors are flocking to these key sites in Birmingham ahead of the high-speed rail link’s delivery.
Earlier this month, the announcement of the first excavation of the 3.5-mile Bromford Tunnel connecting Warwickshire and Birmingham created a major buzz around the city, bringing completion of the much-anticipated high-speed railway a step closer.
The “feat of engineering” is set to significantly slash journey times for passengers between the Midlands and London – with Birmingham Curzon Street penned as the final destination for the new line from the capital.
Journey times between the two cities will be slashed to just 49 minutes, and the anticipation of HS2’s arrival is already sparking an acceleration in new developments and investment around Curzon Street, as demand for property in the area is expected to soar.
Although the project’s delivery has been delayed, more than 75% of HS2’s tunnels are already complete, with the latest development signifying an important step towards final completion.
An economic boost
According to the latest government figures, the latest construction milestone for HS2 is expected to bring £10bn to the region’s economy over the next decade.
This will include the creation of thousands of new jobs, with 10,000 people and 400 businesses across the West Midlands working to deliver the project right now.
HS2 will not only shorten journey times for travellers between London and Birmingham, putting the West Midlands city onto an international stage when it comes to travel, but it will also significantly boost capacity for passengers.
The new tunnel is also expected to free up track space on the “heavily congested West Coast Mail Line and allow more services to connect people to job opportunities that will put more money in their pockets”.
The Bromford Tunnel ends in the Birmingham suburb of Washwood Heath, which is another site that is benefitting from the new railway line’s delivery thanks to the subsequent redevelopment of a 24-hectare brownfield site in the area. The land will be used to commercial and logistics space, creating more opportunities for employers and jobs for local people.
Birmingham Curzon Street property boom
HS2 is now expected to complete in the mid-2030s, providing a strong timeframe for long-term property investors to find opportunities along the route now as capital appreciation prospects increase.
Even without the upcoming high-speed rail link, Birmingham is a city already widely recognised a key location for investment. The council’s Big City Plan has been transforming the city through a 20-year masterplan covering every aspect of the built environment.
A further £724m is also set to be invested by the council on the Curzon Investment Plan, an ambitious regeneration scheme to benefit the area surrounding the station over a 30-year timeframe. This will include the creation of several new neighbourhoods across around 150 hectares, adding up to 4,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs.
Construction work at the new Curzon Street Station in the centre of the city began in January 2024, with a redesign being approved earlier this month to improve factors like value for money, fire safety standards, and deal with technical complexities.
The progress made so far has already propelled the areas surrounding the station into development hotspots, with new residential and commercial buildings underway and more in the pipeline to keep up with investor interest.
Property prices in central Birmingham are competitive compared with London prices and the national average, but are widely anticipated to rise as HS2 nears completion, as has been seen with other significant transport improvements, such as London’s Crossrail.
If you’d like to learn more about well-positioned property investment opportunities close to Curzon Station, join us for our exclusive webinar on Fountain Court by Elevate Property Group on Tuesday 3rd June at 12pm (BST).
You can also learn more about our projects in Birmingham and other key UK locations by getting in touch with BuyAssociation, or browsing our investments here.
