Network Rail has awarded six contracts for the delivery of a £2bn programme of works throughout its Wales and Western regions over the next eight years.

The successful contractors are AmcoGiffen, BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Octavius, and Taylor Woodrow (civil engineering division of VINCI Construction UK). They will play a key part in a new way of working with Wales and Western region to deliver projects faster and more efficiently, thereby achieving greater value for money for the public purse.

The contracts cover electrification and plant, stations, and buildings, and civils renewals projects from 2024 to 2029 with options to extend for a maximum of eight years.

The electrification and plant portfolio includes major overhead line repairs, new points heaters, and all the equipment at the Severn Tunnel pumping station.

The stations work includes the construction of new stations at North Filton and Henbury in Bristol, Wellington and Cullompton in Devon, and Charfield in South Gloucestershire.

Packaging the work into a single portfolio will enable Network Rail to achieve efficiencies in time and cost through best use of resources, consistency, continual improvement as well as better coordinated access to the railway and a focus on innovative solutions.

The contracts form part of Wales and Western’s overall programme to develop long-term supply relationships, such as they already have with Colas and Aecom in its South Rail System Alliance. Similar contracts for signalling will be awarded later this year.

The contracting arrangements are as follows:

• AmcoGiffen – Wales and Western electrification and plant, and Wales and Borders structures;
• BAM Nuttall – Wales and Borders geotechnical and off-track drainage work;
• Morgan Sindall Infrastructure – Western structures including ongoing maintenance and renewals of assets such as bridges, tunnels, walls and culverts.
• Octavius – Wales and Western stations and buildings work including maintenance and renewals of canopies, buildings, depots, platform structures, car parks, and subways;
• Vinci (Taylor Woodrow) – Western geotechnical and off-track drainage work.

Stuart Calvert, capital delivery director for Network Rail’s Wales & Western region, said: “We have made real progress in transforming the delivery of our investment projects, reducing the time and cost of our work, as we saw with completion of the Dartmoor Line to Okehampton.

“We’re taking this same approach to our renewals, and it’s very important that we select excellent suppliers and work collaboratively to get the same sort of benefits which will ultimately support better service for our passengers and freight customers. I’m very excited with these new contracts and look forward to developing the portfolio of works with them.”

John Booth, managing director at AmcoGiffen, said: “We are doubly proud to also be awarded the Wales & Western Electrification & Plant Framework, allowing us to expand our current services in the Region.

“This framework further supports our business goals, working collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to safely and efficiently improve the railway for passengers and communities and provide opportunities for employment, training and increase diversity in the industry.”

Richard Foster, project manager at BAM Nuttall, said: “We are delighted to be working collaboratively with NR and SMEs to increase sustainability, efficiencies and working with local communities throughout CP7 while maintaining our excellent record of keeping our colleagues, stakeholders and passengers safe.”

Simon Smith, managing director for Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said: “We’re pleased to secure a place on the CP7 framework, continuing our relationship with Network Rail in the Wales and Western region.

“We continue to build a strong track record delivering multiple projects within a framework context as we support Network Rail to improve their structural assets, providing a reliable and positive experience for passengers in the region for years to come.”

John Dowsett, chief executive officer at Octavius Infrastructure, said: “We’re thrilled to have been awarded the Wales & Western Stations and Buildings package.
“We’re excited to work with Network Rail, and other partners, to deliver efficient and sustainable solutions in the region, using our knowledge and experience to improve the passenger experience and create benefit for the local communities we’ll be working in.”

Louise Arrowsmith, regional operations director for Taylor Woodrow, said: “Taylor Woodrow is delighted to have been awarded a place on the Framework to help maximise efficiency of the rail network. Our history in rail spans over 50 years and we look forward to applying our engineering expertise to maintain a safe, efficient and reliable railway for passengers and freight customers.”