Media centre

Tuesday 25 Jun 2019

Network Rail announces £215m contract awards to deliver signalling nationwide

Region & Route:

National

Network Rail has announced the award of 17 multi-million-pound framework contracts to deliver minor signalling works across the country, worth an estimated £215m for Control Period 6 (2019-2024).

The minor signalling frameworks, which are split into 17 route-based lots, with two framework contractors for seven of the routes and three framework contractors for the Western route, have been awarded as follows:

Contractors	Network Rail route
Amaro Signalling	South East
AMCO	Scotland, South East and Wales
Amey	Wales, Wessex and Western
Balfour Beatty	London North Eastern & East Midlands, Wessex and Western
Linbrooke	Anglia, Western and London North West
OSL	Scotland
Volker Rail	Anglia, London North Eastern & East Midlands, London North West

The frameworks will deliver minor signalling and refurbishment works, supporting Network Rail’s Works Delivery teams.

Martin Robinson, commercial director signalling said: “The minor signalling framework awards are the second awards in a three-tier approach to signalling delivery for CP6 which aims to recognise the differing signalling work banks we have to deliver. The awards have gone to signalling suppliers that between them, have many years of experience supporting our maintenance and delivery teams and will help Network Rail to continue to improve the signalling asset condition and in turn improve reliability for passengers over the coming years.

“The framework’s approach using fewer contractors will help bring them closer to Network Rail and the routes and make further progress in working more collaboratively. We will continue to build on the successful relationships we already have with our suppliers and look forward to working with them all going forward.”

The remaining tier, major signalling, targeted towards major re-signalling and re-control, will complete the three-tier strategy for CP6 signalling delivery when awarded in January 2020. The first tier for our signalling and telecoms framework was awarded in April 2019.

Kevin Robertshaw, programme director signalling, said: “Our strategy for delivering signalling works in CP6 focuses on bringing the supplier closer to the client and facilitating a more integrated way of working. This is the second of three framework tiers to be awarded and part of a strategy enabling Network Rail and the signalling supply chain to be more innovative, collaborative and effective. I look forward to working with the successful suppliers and making a success of the opportunity ahead of us.”

Notes to editors:

• Network Rail’s delivery arm for renewals and projects, Infrastructure Projects (IP) organises itself into four regional areas – Scotland North East, Central, Southern and Western and Wales, and national programmes for Signalling, Track and the pan regional Northern Programme.

• The tender and procurement process for CP6 was intentionally phased to help improve efficiency for both Network Rail and the supply chain.

• The framework award is one of the most substantial of Network Rail’s CP6 contracts to be let following the Office of Rail and Road’s final determination, which confirmed £35bn of funding for rail maintenance and renewals.

About Network Rail’s digital railway strategy

Network Rail is committed to deploying digital signalling and train controls when and where they represent good value for money to improve the network’s performance for passengers and freight users. In the future, major signalling renewals activities are planned to be either digital or digital-ready to pave the way for adoption of the European Train Control Systems (ETCS).  Digital train control is already being deployed on the Thameslink core through London and on Crossrail. In addition, traffic management tools have been deployed in our Western, Anglia and Wales routes to predict and prevent timetable conflicts and to recover services more quickly when disruption occurs.  For more information, please visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-railway-upgrade-plan/digital-railway/

Framework	Summary
Minor Signalling Framework:	Minor Signalling and refurbishment work supporting Works Delivery, typically component replacement
Signalling and Telecoms framework	Targeted Interventions, stand-alone Level Crossings, stand-alone Major Telecoms works (inc. associated E&P) and civils works
Major Signalling Framework	Re-signalling, Re-lock, Re-control & related Level Crossings and packaged Interventions. Replacement for the MaSREF for projects with WT2 content or a value > £15m

 

Minor Signalling framework (values by lot):

Western           £25m - £75m               Amey, Balfour Beatty, Linbrooke

LNE/EM           £30m - £40m               Volker Rail, Balfour Beatty

Wessex           £20m - £40m               Amey, Balfour Beatty

Wales              £2m - £10m                 Amey, AMCO Giffen

South East      £5m - £10m                 Amaro, AMCO Giffen

Anglia              £5m - £10m                 Volker Rail, Linbrooke

Scotland          £2.5m - £10m              OSL, AMCO Giffen

LNW                £10m - £20m               Volker Rail, Linbrooke