Transport Secretary Mark Harper yesterday (17 July) visited the West Midlands with his Australian counterpart Catherine King to see the construction of HS2's new Curzon Street Station.

The construction of Curzon Street Station is expected to create over 1,000 jobs in Birmingham, including 100 new apprenticeships and a 'Restart' scheme to support unemployed people.

The Secretary of State and Minister King took an exclusive first walk on top of the 300-metre-long HS2 viaduct to see first-hand the view passengers will witness when travelling into the city on HS2 trains. 

The walk marked a key construction milestone, celebrating the half-way point of the viaduct's completion, which now has 15 of its 30 V-shaped piers in place. 

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said yesterday: "The fantastic city of Birmingham is a hive of construction, with HS2 supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs and apprenticeships, as we gear up to bring its services into the city centre over the next decade. 

One of the giant piers for the Curzon 3 Viaduct in Birmingham (image via HS2)

"As Europe's largest infrastructure project, HS2 is being recognised globally and, alongside the Australian Transport Minister today, I take great pride in seeing this once-in-a-generation opportunity come to life, which will better connect our regions and grow the economy for years to come."

The first services expected to run from West London into Curzon Street by 2033, serving around 25,000 passengers a day.

The Department for Transport said yesterday's visit "marks [the] Government's ongoing commitment to the high-speed line".

Work will continue to ramp up across the region in the years to come, with the HS2 Interchange Station set to be built near Birmingham Airport.

The visit comes just days after a decision on HS2's new viaduct in Balsall Common was delayed by councillors who criticised the way local residents had been treated.

The railway line from Coventry to Leamington Spa is also set to be closed for eight days at the end of the month so HS2 can build a new bridge.