Network Rail has announced the winners of its nearly £2bn capital works delivery frameworks for Control Period 7 (CP7), 2024 to 2029, covering the North West and Central region of its network.
These frameworks are classified into four categories: A, B, C, and D, with some well-known firms getting winning places on several of the contracts.
CP7 covers the five year period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029. The total amount due to be spent on the NW&C capital delivery frameworks over the timeframe is close to £2bn. Network Rail’s NW&C region is formed of three routes, the north west, central and west coast south routes, accounting for almost a quarter (24%) of Britain's railways.
Category A - large projects:
Network Rail’s category A framework covers the design and build of large projects, which two different lots for projects worth £7M to £200M, lot A1, and £7M to £50M, lot A2. Both lots cover the whole NW&C region and are worth £490M.
Kier and Skanska won Lot A1, while Octavius Infrastructure and Story Contracting won Lot A2.
Within this framework, these winners will be expected to conduct civil engineering works forming and protecting the railway corridor, incorporating structures whether under/over bridge construction, earthwork/geotechnical operations, retaining wall structures and ancillary highway modifications or projects. As well as works to existing and new stations, depots, platforms and car-parks, operational and other line side buildings.
Further work on projects comprising of signalling, permanent way, switches and crossings, associated structure modifications, telecoms and electrification work will also be expected.
Category B - medium projects:
Framework category B is due to be worth £695M and will relate to the design and build of medium projects with a value of between £100,000 and £7M. This lot has one framework for the whole of the NW&C region and then other contracts for specific routes.
Lot B1 to conduct civil engineering, structures and geotechnical for the whole region was Story Contracting.
Lot B1 for civil engineering on the north west route was won by QTS Group and lot B1 for the central and west coast south routes was won by J Murphy & Sons.
These works will include the partial or whole renewal (which may include replacement, removal, major repair, major refurbishment or strengthening) of:
- Bridges (underbridges, overbridges, footbridges, property rafts)
- Viaducts
- Tunnels
- Walls (boundary, retaining and acoustic barriers)
- Drainage including culverts
- Structures and works associated with river, coastal and estuarine defences
- Geotechnical (soil embankments, soil cuttings, rock cuttings and associated drainage works)
- Mining (mine workings, shafts and adits)
- Ancillary structures (e.g. foundations, support structures, access roads, fencing, gates, steps)
Lot B2 incorporates works to be conducted on buildings. Story Contracting won lot B2 covering the whole region, for the north west the contract was handed to Amalgamated Construction and J Murphy & Sons, for the central route J Murphy & Sons has been successful and Taziker Industrial will take charge of buildings’ work for the central and west coast south routes.
These works will include partial or whole renewal of the following assets:
- Stations (assets contained within such as buildings, platforms, footbridges, train sheds, canopies, retaining walls, lifts and escalators)
- Light maintenance depots
- Maintenance delivery units
- Critical lineside buildings (signal boxes, route operating centres, relay rooms)
Amey Rail has been successful in winning all of the frameworks within category B3. These include providing AC Switchgear for the whole region, power and distribution works for the north west, central and west coast south routes and low voltage plant and signalling power works for the central and west coast south routes.
Category C - small projects:
Framework category C is due to be worth £358M and will see the winners conduct small projects, with a value of between £100,000 and £4M.
Lot C1 for civil engineering for the whole region has been won by Amalgamated Construction, lot C1 in the north west route was won by QTS Group and Story Contracting and J Murphy & Sons will provide civil engineering for the central and west coast south routes.
Lot C2 incorporates buildings works on the north west route and will be conducted by Amalgamated Construction, similar work for the central and west coast south routes will be conducted by J Murphy & Sons.
Lot C3 to provide power and distribution works for the central and west coast south routes has also been won by Amey Rail.
Category D - minor works:
Framework category D is due to be worth £229M and will see the winners conduct delivery of minor and reactive works, with a value up to £100k. These works relate to planned, unplanned and cyclical maintenance requirements.
Incorporated within this is the provision of emergency response capability to be able to have an initial on-site presence & response not greater than two hours notice.
Lot D1 to conduct minor works relating to civil engineering has gone to Amalgamated Construction and QTS Group.
Similar works for the whole region has been assigned to Construction Marine and J Murphy & Sons.
Minor works relating to buildings on the north west, central and west coast south routes will be conducted by Amalgamated Construction, CK Rail Solutions and JSS Rail.
The initial term of the frameworks, aside from category D, will be five years with an option to extend for a further period of up to two years. The category D framework will last for three years.
Amey Rail managing director Peter Anderson said: “Our whole life approach to asset management enables Amey to expertly integrate our operational knowledge with our in-house design and analytics capabilities to create solutions which maximise the life and usage of railway assets.
“We are delighted to be awarded exclusivity on these five framework lots, which extend our long-term partnership with Network Rail’s north west and central team.
“Working collaboratively with the team and our supply chain, we will work together to enhance connectivity across the UK to improve freight logistics to support businesses and trade, and to make passengers’ journeys easier.”
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