HS2 has reached a major construction milestone at its Birmingham terminus after completing the last of 2,011 concrete piles that will support the foundations of Curzon Street station.

The huge piling programme, delivered by the Mace Dragados joint venture with Keltbray marks the end of a critical substructure phase on the 400m-long city centre station.

Each reinforced concrete pile has been sunk between 6m and 24m deep into the ground to form the backbone of the new seven-platform terminus, which will sit between Moor Street station and Millennium Point under a vast arched roof inspired by Victorian railway architecture.

Alistair Morgan, senior project manager at HS2, said: “It’s great to see how much progress has been made on the foundation works and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been working so hard to get the job done. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do before the first passengers arrive, and I look forward to seeing more significant progress in the year ahead.”

At peak, more than 1,000 people are expected to be working on the Curzon Street site.

Rodger Storey, senior project manager at the Mace Dragados JV, said: “Completing the foundation works for Curzon Street station marks a major milestone in the delivery of the project. The team is proud of the major achievement represented the extensive piling operation that forms the station’s foundations.

“With this crucial phase now finished, we look forward to progressing the construction of the station building itself, which will create further jobs, apprenticeships, and supply chain opportunities as activity on site continues to ramp up.”

Work is also advancing on the Curzon 2 viaduct, a 40m-high structure being delivered by Balfour Beatty Vinci. The viaduct will be slid into place across the Cross City line this summer.