Contractors now face the challenge of pricing the job amid rampant materials price inflation.

Initially, the cost of the station project was expected to be around £270m. With a more advanced design this has jumped by around £100m but still remains the cheapest of the quartet of phase 1 HS2 station builds.

HS2’s design consultant Arup has drawn up designs that aim to make Birmingham Interchange station one of the world’s most sustainable railway stations.

The station, which will be at the heart of the HS2 network in the Midlands, recently became the first railway station globally to achieve the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification at the design stage  – putting it in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials.

The station’s design makes use of renewable technologies, and in operation, the station will use natural ventilation, daylight, harvested rainwater and solar energy to cut carbon.

HS2 aims to shortlist three bidders for the two-stage design and build job, with a successful contractor due to be appointed in September 2022 and construction planned to start in 2024.

Enabling works contractors Laing O’Rourke and Murphy are well advanced on installing bridges and roads ahead of main construction staring at the Interchange Triangle, bounded by the M42 Motorway, the A452 Chester Road and the A45 Coventry Road, Solihull.

Firms have until 5 July to submit prequal bids and can obtain further information from here.

Birmingham Interchange is the last phase one HS2 station to come out to tender.

Last month Mace Dragados secured a £570m deal to build the Birmingham Curzon Street station, beating off competition from two rivals Laing O’Rourke bidding alone and BAM Nuttall in joint venture with Ferrovial.

It was the JVs second success having secured the £1.3bn HS2 Euston station build just over two year’s ago.

Balfour Beatty Vinci Systra joint venture was awarded the contract for HS2’s new £1bn Old Oak Common station.