Wilkinson Eyre and Grimshaw Architects, together with engineers Arup and WSP, will be designing the stations in Birmingham and London for the high speed rail network HS2. Wilkinson Eyre will work with Arup to design the Birmingham Interchange station and with WSP to create a station at Old Oak Common in London. At the same time, Grimshaw will work with WSP to create the station at Birmingham Curzon Street and together with Arup, they have teamed up for an interchange at London Euston. Sadie Morgan, the co-founder of London architecture practice drMM and chair of the HS2 Design Panel, said these four “iconic” stations will “set new standards in design and ease of use, and provide a legacy of great architecture of which Britain can be truly proud.” The first phase of HS2 will connect central London with West Midlands and the first services are expected to be in operation by 2026. The second phase of the project will connect Birmingham with Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. Each one of these stations will include shops, offices, cultural offerings, and a step-free access. “Our new stations in London and Birmingham will be at the heart of the first phase of the project, increasing capacity, improving journeys and helping to unlock opportunities for tens of thousands of new jobs and homes around what will be four new landmark buildings,” said HS2 chief executive, Mark Thurston. The HS2 minister Nusrat Ghani also commented saying that the companies they chose will ensure passengers with a world class railway: “I am confident that these firms will deliver these projects at value for money, with designs that are both innovative and in keeping with their surroundings.” The two companies have been very active during the past few years, with Grimshaw Architects putting the finishing touches to an extension to London Bridge station and Wilkinson Eyre currently working on a pair of skyscrapers near London’s Blackfriars Bridge.