£30M of Government funding is being made available to communities alonside the HS2 route to invest in public projects such as refurbishment of community centres, nature projects and to support local jobs and the local economy, Department for Transport has said.

HS2 has published the results of a comprehensive study to test whether the supply chain is ready to work to Level 2 BIM. It confirmed that Level 2 BIM is a realistic minimum standard for the project but with some upskilling help needed from HS2 for Tier 2s and 3s. Key data from the study showed: 94% of the supply chain already use BIM; 60% have a BIM strategy with defined goals; 71% make financial provision for BIM; 60% work to a BIM standard as part of their QA process. Tier 1 organisations were the most evolved whereas Tiers 2 and 3, with the exception of a few early adopters, were constrained within levels 0-1. 

The HS2 rail college is to be split between two locations, with the headquarters based in Birmingham’s city centre Science Park and another college at Doncaster’s Lakeside Campus.

HS2 is holding its first supplier day today and is calling on industry to get ready to bid for the £10bn worth of contracts available for first phase of the high speed railway between West Midlands and London. Over 1,500 delegates from more than 900 firms are expected at London’s Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre today and at Manchester Central on 23 October to hear from HS2 Ltd what will be needed from industry.