The shortlist of possible construction partners for the HS2 interchange in Solihull has been announced, with the winner set to be tasked with creating a station that does a lot more than just help people get on and off trains.

HS2 is seeking to make the development one of the greenest stations ever built, with its net zero carbon features including a design that will maximise the level of natural light the interior receives, as well as innovations such as rainwater capture, LED lighting and air source heat pumps.

It is on course to become the first station in the world to achieve BREEAM ‘outstanding’ certification at the design stage, which would place it in the top one per cent of UK buildings for environmental performance.

The trio of candidates is Laing O’Rourke, Skanska Construction and a joint venture of Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick called Unity. Whichever firm wins the £370 million contract will get to add their own touches to the design blueprint.

Among the elements that might be included are external glass balustrades, to increase the amount of natural light permeating through the station.

Much enabling work has already taken place around the 150 hectare site, which sits in a triangle between the M42, A45 and A452 near the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham Airport. This work has included the construction of enabling roads to get site traffic to the plot.

When the station’s construction starts, the work will generate 1,000 jobs as it is built, either directly or through the supply chain and equipment hire. However, this is intended to merely be the start of a wider economic benefit, with the regeneration of the area around the station expected to create 30,000 jobs, 70,000 sq m of commercial space and up to 3,000 new homes.

While the accessibility to ad from the area provided by the station and associated developments like the eastward extension of the Midlands Metro tram system to the site will help with this economic development, station users will also discover just how much emphasis has been placed at the design stage on creating something as green and light as possible.

Matthew Botell, HS2’s stations director, said the firm is looking forward to working alongside the successful bidder “on our award-winning designs, to build a world class, eco-friendly station that will play a major role in helping us deliver Britain’s new low-carbon railway”.

The contract will be awarded next year, when the site will join several other stations being built on the HS2 network.

Work is now underway on the station at Old Oak Common in west London, which will be the largest ever single building railway station project in the UK.

Acting as a major rail hub for traffic in and out of central London, it will feature six HS2 platforms, two for Crossrail’s Elizabeth Line and four more for mainline trains running between London, Wales and the south west of England.  

The Old Oak Common will also be designed to maximise natural light and use green energy elements like solar panels.