14.06.16
HS2 bidders for major £12bn engineering contracts invited to tender
The nine companies in the race to win at least one of seven HS2 main civil engineering contracts worth up to £11.8bn have been invited to tender.
The companies, mostly made up of consortia featuring some of the biggest names in the national and international rail sector, were shortlisted for the major packages in late March.
The shortlist is as follows:
- Align JV: BouyguesTravaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, Volkerfitzpatrick
- ASL: Acciona Infraestructuras, John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, Lagan Construction Group Ltd
- Balfour Beatty Vinci BeMO (BBV JV): Balfour Beatty Group Ltd, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Vinci Construction UK Ltd, Vinci Construction Terrassement SAS, BeMO Tunnelling GmbH
- Catalyst: Bechtel Ltd
- Carillion-Eiffage-Kier (CEK) JV: Carillion Construction Ltd, Eiffage Genie Civil S.A. (previously Eiffage TP), Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Ltd
- Fusion: Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure Ltd (previously Morgan Sindall plc), BAM Nuttall Ltd, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Ltd
- LFM: Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd, FCC Construccion S.A., J. Murphy and Sons Ltd
- Momentum Infrastructure: Dragados S.A., HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH, GallifordTry Infrastructure Ltd
- SCS: Skanska Construction (UK) Ltd, Costain Ltd, STRABAG AG
Firms that successfully go through the tendering process, or “deliver the best results in terms of value and efficiency”, will then be able to start bidding for phase 2a works – which are worth between £1.8bn and £3.3bn and cover the second leg of the high-speed project, between Birmingham and Crewe.
As previously reported by RTM, the seven packages or ‘lots’ cover a series of patches, such as the Chiltern Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct and the route from Long Itchington Wood Green Tunnel to Delta Junction.
Most tenderers are bidding for the maximum allowance of four packages each, although Catalyst (Bechtel Ltd) and ASL are just bidding for one each.
HS2 Ltd said it expects these major contracts will be finalised in spring next year, with work on the 140-mile stretch of the phase 1 scheme set to start the following year.
The company has also recently unveiled a property compensation and financial assistance package for owner-occupiers along the HS2 phase 2a route, but the Residents’ Commissioner quickly called for this scheme to be reviewed.
The high-speed rail project, for which a Bill is currently being examined by a Lords Select Committee, is also under review by cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, who will look at how HS2 can stay within its £55bn budget. He is expected to report to ministers in the summer.
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