The HS2 construction is transforming the landscape around the Curzon Street building.  Once this was a sleepy backwater and a relatively quiet part of Birmingham.  However first came Millennium Point and then the ThinkTank museum. Then HS2 rolled into town.  Birmingham City University also moved location so that they were near to the station.  This series of pictures provides a construction update of the area and the viaducts that will carry the trains into the station which are starting to appear.  The area around the Birmingham canal allows a view of the enormous construction taking place. 

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A few interesting stories developed whilst I was taking pictures.  I added to my 100 strangers project whilst  I was walking around the perimeter of the HS2 development works. As I was taking pictures over the canal bridge looking towards the new viaducts for the trains, I met Mace who was from London. He was on a stopover in Birmingham on his journey to Scotland.  He immediately engaged me in conversation and was a lively personality.  After discussing the state of play of the HS2 and Birmingham, he willingly posed for my 100 strangers’ project.  (More of this photographic project at a later date). The sun was out creating lighting difficulties so I asked Mace to stand under the shade.  In the portrait, Curzon street is to the right and the view is down towards the ThinkTank museum and Birmingham City University.  The new Curzon Street station is further down the road.

Another interesting finding was that to my surprise I found a narrowboat moored up on the other side of the Curzon Street railway bridge near to the Birmingham Gun Barrell proof house.  It is a rare sight to see canal boats on this stretch of the canal.  However as the area starts to receive more investment then it is likely that such occurrences will be more frequent.

One of my photography projects is to photograph the changes occurring in other places of the HS2 development. You may wish to view the changes to 16 acre wood near Berkswell.