Turkish construction giant Gulermak Agir Sanayi Insaat is up against two other bidders: Vinci/Keltbray; and VolkerFitzpatrick/VolkerRail for the single-stage design and build contract.

Ankara-based Gülermak was established in 1958 and has developed into a turnkey rail systems contractor.

It has built rail and metro systems across Turkey, including the Ankara High Speed ​​Train Depot & Maintenance Complex and the Warsaw Metro Line II in Poland.

Gülermak also owns one of the largest steel factories in Turkey with a manufacturing capacity of 60,000 tons/year in structural and mechanical steel. It exports to more than 48 different countries.

The project is a key site for HS2 and will see a 30 hectare brown field site transformed into the nerve centre of the high speed railway line.

The depot will include a 40,000 m2 rolling stock maintenance building, carriage wash, automatic vehicle inspection building and 14 sidings where trains can be stored overnight.

Also on the same site will be the Network Integrated Control Centre for signalling and control systems as well as office buildings for cleaners and drivers.

The Washwood Heath site was formerly home to the disused Metro-Cammell railway works which closed in 2004.

A team from HS2’s enabling works contractor LM (Laing Murphy), completed the demolition of the buildings on the site last year, ready for the start of construction.

Once operational, Phase One and 2a will have a fleet of at least 54 trains which will be based at Washwood Heath.

Contracts are expected to be awarded in 2023.