Latest Rail News

15.04.20

HS2 welcomes Government approval to issue Notice to Proceed

Today (April 15the Department for Transport (DfT) has given the go ahead for HS2 Ltd to issue Notice to Proceed to the four Main Works Civils Contractors working on the project, SCS Railways, Align JV, EKFB JV, and BBV JV, to commence full detailed design and construction of Phase One of the HS2 railway (the route from London – West Midlands).

So far, the contracts between HS2 Ltd and the Main Works Civils Contractors (MWCC) for Phase One have focused on undertaking scheme design and site preparation, plus pricing and scoping, for the civils work.

The Notice to Proceed marks the point in the MWCC contracts where the work transitions from scheme design and preparatory work, to full detailed design and construction.

The MWCCs will begin work immediately, progressing detailed design, site preparation works and placing important sub-contracts. Our contractors are continuously reviewing their ability to work within Public Health England guidelines to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce and the communities in which we are working.

The HS2 railway is a momentous investment both in the near and longer-term economic health of the country. HS2 is ‘shovel-ready’ and will drive investment right across the country at this crucial time. Cities including Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester are already benefitting several years before the railway opens.  

Once operational, HS2 will serve over 25 stations connecting around 30 million people. HS2 will significantly improve connectivity in the North and Midlands and will also integrate the existing network serving stations into Scotland, creating 500,000 extra jobs and 90,000 homes around HS2 stations.

CEO of HS2 Ltd, Mark Thurston, said: “In these difficult times, today’s announcement represents both an immediate boost to the construction industry and the many millions of UK jobs that the industry supports and an important investment in Britain’s future levelling up the country, improving our transport network and changing the way we travel to help bring down carbon emissions and improve air quality for the next generation.”

Image: HS2

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

related

Rail industry Focus

View all News

Comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >

'the sleepers' blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

Interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he would not rule out his organisation issuing future r... more >
Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

08/05/2019Advancing the rail industry with management degree apprenticeships

In answering the pressing questions of how current and future generations of managers can provide solutions to high-profile infrastructure projects across the UK, Pearson Business School, part of... more >