Design revealed for new HS2 depot in Aylesbury Vale, bringing 180 jobs to the area

Positioned halfway between the two villages, where HS2 will cross the East West Rail line, the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) will include workshops, offices, storage and training facilities as well as a base for the British Transport Police.

The depot will house the people and equipment needed to keep the first phase of HS2 running smoothly and efficiently, and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Up to 180 staff will be on site at any one time between 9am and 5pm, with up to 110 staff working night shifts, and HS2 Ltd says it will be looking to recruit locally as far as possible

A fleet of on-track maintenance trains will be based at the depot, accessing the mainline at night - while the HS2 trains are not running - to maintain the track and systems.

Connections to East-West Rail will also allow heavy equipment and materials to be delivered to the depot by rail.

The depot design is inspired by the style of local agricultural buildings and the area’s industrial heritage.

The main buildings will be clad with red brick, as a nod to the Calvert brickworks which closed in 1991.

Gently curved roofs, timber and low-reflection metal finishes are designed to help reduce the visual impact of the buildings.

A large area of landscaping and new woodland planting is planned, to screen the depot from nearby Steeple Claydon, with around 15,000 trees and 20,000 shrubs set to be planted.

HS2 Ltd’s Systems Delivery Director, Iain Smith, said: “HS2 will dramatically improve connectivity and rail capacity while offering zero-carbon journeys from day one.

"The maintenance depot at Calvert will be at the heart of that operation – keeping the new railway running smoothly every day.

"That’s why it’s great to see the new designs and I look forward to hearing the feedback from the local community.”

Construction works for the depot are expected to begin in 2025, and complete in 2028, with the depot opening for trial operations from 2029, building up gradually over a number of years.

Residents can find out more about the designs and share their comments via the community pages of the HS2 website.