Government to award £1.88bn in contracts for HS2 power, track and safety works

The government will award two contracts worth £1.88bn for HS2 works including overhead power supply construction and safety equipment installation.

High Speed Two, the government-funded company, is searching for successful bidders for the contracts covering the project’s first phase between London and Birmingham and phase 2a onwards to Crewe.

The first contract, worth £1.55bn, covers construction and testing of the routes’ overhead catenary power system and 290km of rail. It also includes some building work at stations and in tunnels, as well as the provision of engineering trains to link work sites.

A smaller £330m contract is for mechanical and electrical ventilation works, covering the design, installation, testing and commissioning of HS2 safety equipment including tunnel ventilation fans, lighting, handrails, fire safety equipment and tunnel alarm systems.

“We’re looking for the smartest, most cost-effective solutions that the industry has to offer through these contracts, which form part of the overall railway system for HS2,” said HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston.

“These two essential contracts are fundamental to HS2 operating safely, reliably and efficiently for the millions of people who will use and come to depend on it. Once complete, HS2 will transform rail travel, providing extra capacity and improved connectivity between our major cities and act as a catalyst for growth across the UK.”

The announcement comes after Kier took responsibility for HS2 construction works following the collapse of Carillion. The new contractor reportedly took on 200 former Carillion employees for various works.

Governments have gone through years of controversy and legal challenges to build the high-speed service. Critics say the project, officially expected to cost £55.7bn, will bring negligible time-saving benefits while wreaking environmental havoc and forcing people from their homes.

The government says the trains will increase network capacity and slash travel times from London to Manchester to just 67 minutes, supporting the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine initiatives. HS2 services will connect more than 25 destinations and 30 million people, serving existing stations in cities such as Glasgow and Liverpool.