A massive new contract has been awarded by HS2 for the lifts and escalators at four major stations on the high speed network.

Worth between £207 million and £316 million, the flexible deal will see German firm TK Elevator providing passenger lift and escalator facilities at Birmingham Curzon Street, Birmingham Interchange, Old Oak Common and the new HS2 Euston hub.  This will see up to 160 lifts and 130 escalators being provided to help passengers of all mobility levels get to and from the platforms.

The variation in the potential cost is due to the fact that exact numbers of lifts and escalators is not finalised, as the designs of the stations are still being developed. 

Commenting on the deal, HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said: “These state-of-the-art lifts and escalators, alongside our commitment to step-free access from street to the train, will facilitate this while also acting as an eye-catching feature.”

Whatever the final details of the designs, step-free access to all platforms to provide end-to-end accessibility for all travellers is a key element of the HS2 blueprint. Andrew Cubitt, HS2’s procurement director, said the escalators and lifts will be “essential” for “helping us to ensure seamless journeys for everyone”.

Similarly, chief executive officer for TK Elevator in Europe and Africa Inge Delobelle emphasised the firm’s plan to “help provide the best mobility solutions for this ambitious undertaking”.

The greatest provision of step-free access will be at Old Oak Common, where passengers will travel 13.5-metres between the platforms and surface level. There will be more than 50 escalators and lifts at the station, which will provide an interchange between HS2 and Crossrail.

Crossrail has a similar commitment to step-free access, which will be available at every one of its 41 stations. In many cases this has involved technical projects to install lifts in older station complexes where a new Crossrail stop is being added, such as at Hanwell, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.