The Department for Transport (DfT) has begun early market engagement in its hunt for partners in a public-private deal to design, build and maintain the planned HS2 Euston station terminus.
The government has been long working on a masterplan to provide a train station that is a combination of the planned HS2 terminus, a redevelopment of the current Network Rail station, integration of the current London Underground station and new-build housing above.
The former station design was gradually downsized and eventually scrapped because the cost had ballooned. It was decided that HS2 will terminate at Old Oak Common initially, with the central London terminus being delivered some years later. The DfT, under the former government, took back control of the development from HS2 Ltd and started looking for private partners to bring it forward – a search that has continued under the Labour government.
In April 2025 it was reported that an outline design for the new terminus was “a good way off”.
In summer last year, with the release of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, the government confirmed the continued search for a public private partnership (PPP) to bring the proposals forward.
In a clear next step, the DfT is now engaging with the market in the hope the resultant design proposals for the integrated terminus can represent an “investable commercial proposition”.
In its preliminary engagement notice, the DfT said: “Given the critical nature, scale and complexity of delivering the HS2 Euston station, DfT is seeking to engage with the market at an early stage in the development of design, build, finance and maintain (DBFM) plans, to help test and shape an investable commercial proposition that effectively allocates risks while delivering value for money.”
Responsibilities under the DBFM model include detailed design and construction of the HS2 Euston Station infrastructure followed by ongoing maintenance over a long-term contracted period.
The DfT further stated it is anticipating this preliminary market engagement “will take a phased approach” with this being the first stage.
Officials are anticipating future stages of preliminary market engagement will be used to deliver “more refined proposals in light of feedback received”.
The notice for this initial stage of market engagement outlined the objectives as being:
- To raise awareness of the project and DfT’s plans.
- To assess potential market appetite and identify priority issues for the market early in the process of developing private finance plans for the HS2 Euston Station
- To support refinement of the proposed commercial and procurement approach.
As noted at the end of 2024, the DfT is in the process of forming a new delivery body to oversee the development and construction of the terminus, the Euston Delivery Company (EDC).
It is now intended the EDC will lead the delivery of the renewed Euston as a “fully integrated transport gateway” and support the delivery of the development masterplan, being put together by DfT’s development partner Lendlease.
The notice states: “Given the critical nature, scale and complexity of delivering the HS2 Euston Station, DfT is seeking to engage with the market at an early stage in the development of DBFM plans, to help test and shape an investable commercial proposition that effectively allocates risks while delivering value for money.
“DfT, supported by financial advisors, will be conducting the preliminary market engagement for this anticipated procurement of a private sector partner to deliver the HS2 Euston Station under a DBFM model.”
In parallel and separate from the DBFM engagement opportunity, the EDC is currently in the process of appointing an engineering and design partner to act as lead designer and design integrator across the Euston campus programme. It is anticipated this contract’s scope will include enduring design guardianship, as well as developing the RIBA Stage 3 design for the HS2 Euston Station before the private sector partner under the DBFM undertakes detailed design.
At the end of 2024, rail minister Lord Hendy stated that the masterplan for the station – covering HS2, national rail and London underground – would ensure there is just one concourse serving both HS2and national rail services.
Speaking at a transport select committee meeting, Hendy said that a one concourse approach is being done to combine both stations to avoid there being two “platform 1s”.
Work is ramping up to see HS2 reach its central London terminus as last week the first of two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) building the HS2 route to Euston begun its 7.2km drive from Old Oak Common.
The Euston tunnel is a twin-bore drive that will carry high‑speed trains between Old Oak Common and Euston being constructed by Skanska Costain Strabag (SCS) JV.
The government is funding the cost of the tunnels from Old Oak Common to Euston in hopes that it will catalyse investment in the station.
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Source: www.newcivilengineer.com
