Network Rail awards £5bn worth of contracts for next 10 years of railway management
Network Rail has tasked engineering giants including Babcock and Colas with looking after Britain’s railways for the next decade, handing out £5bn worth of contracts.
The firm, which is in charge of managing the UK’s rail networks, said the winning bidders would be responsible for “anything needed to make the rail system work including track, points, overhead lines and signalling”.
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The new 10-year contracts will start in August.
Steve Featherstone, Network Rail’s director of track, said: “Reaching this important milestone ensures we will have a stable foundation for the delivery of the Great Britain’s core railway infrastructure for the next decade. Our new strategy allows us to better align to the routes and ultimately, deliver for customers.”
Following an extensive tender period, the rail division of FTSE 250 outsourcer Babcock, as well as Arup and Arcadis will run the northern segment of the network. Meanwhile the south will be run by US firm AECOM and French firm Colas
Network Rail has not yet announced the winner for the London North-West and London North-East routes.
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Jean-Pierre Bertrand, chief executive of Colas, said: “We are extremely proud of our team being recognised for the quality of the tender submission. We are fully committed to delivering major improvements to the UK railways in the south working together with our partners Aecom and Network Rail over the upcoming 10 years.
Archie Bethel, Babcock International’s chief executive added: “Building on our long term relationship with Network Rail, we are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder for this major programme of railway systems work, with our alliance partners Arcadis and Arup. We look forward to working with Network Rail in the new alliance.”