Construction companies and organisations involved in the railways have welcomed the announced that the Government has issued the formal ‘Notice to Proceed’ to allow the multi-billion pound construction of HS2 to commence.
Following Wednesday’s announcement, an army of workers will now set about the task of building Britain’s new north-south railway line with 11,000 working on the project, rising to 15,000 by the end of year, and 30,000 by peak construction and train building.
The news marks the point when the main contractors transitions from preparatory work, to full detailed design work, construction (within Public Health England guidelines).
Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2 Ltd, said: “In these difficult times, today’s announcement represents both an immediate boost to the construction industry – and the many millions of UK jobs that the industry supports – and an important investment in Britain’s future.
“While the country’s focus is rightly on defeating COVID-19, this ensures that our contractors and their supply chains have the confidence that they can commit to building HS2, generating thousands of skilled jobs across the country as we recover from the pandemic.”
The joint ventures, originally awarded contracts by HS2 Ltd in July 2017, are:
- SCS Railways (Skanska Construction UK Ltd, Costain Ltd, STRABAG AG)
- Align JV (Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, a subsidiary of VolkerWessels UK)
- EKBF JV (Eiffage Genie Civil SA, Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Ltd, BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman)
- BBV JV (Balfour Beatty Group Ltd, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, VINCI Construction UK Ltd, VINCI Construction Terrassement).
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “In these difficult times, it is great news and a real boon to the UK railway industry that this ‘Notice to Proceed’ on HS2 has been announced. HS2 is a truly transformational project for UK plc, its national economy and connectivity, and gives a boost to the whole UK rail network, adding capacity to a number of key routes, benefiting towns, communities and cities across the whole country.
“It will also create thousands of jobs and spur investment, at a time when the UK will be looking at how it can recover economically from this Coronavirus outbreak – so the Railway Industry Association and rail suppliers around the UK greatly appreciate this exciting news.
“We now look forward to working with the Government, HS2 Ltd, and all those involved in this project as the main works begin.”
Will Roberts, Director at the High Speed Rail Group, said: “At a time when the country is facing such enormous challenges, this is very welcome news. We must continue to look to the long-term, and there is no project which will do more to transform the long-term prospects of UK PLC than HS2. It will also be vital to tackling the climate emergency, with a new high capacity fully electrified railway essential to deliver modal shift away from aviation and car travel.
“A small army of 11,000 people is already working to make HS2 a reality – and that number will rise to 15,000 this year and 30,000 in the longer-term, including 2,000 apprentices. This team, coming from hundreds of different companies all over the UK, will work night and day to make the vision of HS2 a reality.”
John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight said: “This is welcome news for business across the construction supply chain. Uncertainty about the future of the project followed by the COVID-19 disruption has caused difficulties for the sector. Confidence that work is about to begin will be a big boost for businesses across the UK.
“Better connectivity across the country will be important in supporting the UK’s long-term economic growth. The go ahead for HS2 shows that that Government is willing to deliver on its promises to invest in infrastructure to support economic growth across the UK.
“GBRf has already been playing a role in supporting preparations for the construction phase to begin and we will support the delivery of the project though our role in the construction supply chain.”
SCS Railways (Skanska Construction UK Ltd, Costain Ltd, STRABAG AG)
The joint venture company will commence full detailed design and construction of Phase 1 of the HS2 railway in area south as part of the Main Works Civils Contract.
Costain says the contract, worth £3,298 billion to the joint venture as a whole, will involve the design and construction of major tunnels in the approach to the London terminus at Euston station. It is estimated that Phase 1 of the works will create 6,000 jobs.
To date, the joint venture’s contract with HS2 has been to undertake scheme design and site preparation for the civil engineering work. The new contract marks the point where the work transitions from scheme design and preparatory work to full detailed design and construction.
Currently, in response to the COVID-19 situation, construction on site is paused for all but safety-critical works for the health and safety of employees and the communities in which they work. Given the delayed start, the contract is not expected to make a significant contribution to the Group’s profitability until FY21 onwards.
Align JV (Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, a subsidiary of VolkerWessels UK)
Align JV is proceeding to deliver the C1 package of HS2.
The package was originally awarded to Align, a joint venture of three international and privately-owned infrastructure companies, Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, a subsidiary of VolkerWessels UK, and its design partners Jacobs Engineering and Ingérop-Rendel, in July 2017. Since then Align has been progressing the design and starting critical pre-construction activities, working in collaboration with HS2, culminating today with the issuing of a Notice to Proceed.
The C1 package worth £1.6bn sits within HS2 phase 1. The C1 route starts approximately 20km to the west of central London and runs across the the Colne Valley and then through the Chiltern Hills to the north west. It consists of 21.6km of high speed rail infrastructure that includes what will become a landmark 3.37km viaduct across the Colne Valley and a 16.04km twin-bored tunnel with five ventilation shafts.
The Align partners have an impressive and successful track record of major project innovation, design and construction, and this is reflected in what is planned to deliver the C1 package. A complete scheme design, production of the construction programme and key procurement activities have already been delivered by Align. The decision by HS2 to issue their Notice to Proceed today, signifies the second stage of the project which includes implementation of detailed design and the construction works.
Jean-Pierre Margolin, Executive Director at Bouygues Travaux Publics and an Align Board Director commented: “I am delighted with how the Align team has come together to develop the design and planning in close coordination with all stakeholders involved for what will be an iconic element of HS2. Each company involved in the Align JV is proud to be playing its part in delivering Europe’s largest infrastructure project.”
Daniel Altier, Align Project Director, added: “This is a complex project however we have delivered some unique innovations to address the engineering challenges relating to both design and planned construction of the tunnel, the tunnel shafts and the viaduct. It’s both rewarding and exciting to get the construction element of the project underway.”
EKBF JV (Eiffage Genie Civil SA, Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Ltd, BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman)
The EKBF joint venture will commence the full detailed design and construction of 80km of Phase 1 of the HS2 railway (the route from London – Birmingham).
Throughout construction of the project, the partners will deliver Lots C2 and C3 of the HS2 high-speed railway. This 80km section runs between the Chilterns to Warwickshire and includes 15 viaducts, 5km of green tunnels, 22km of road diversions, 67 overbridges and 30 million cubic metres of excavation. The total value of the section, including the design and development work already completed is £2.269bn.
Construction works are expected to start later in the year.
Since the commencement of the design and development phase in 2017, the joint venture has conducted scheme design and some ground investigation works. This includes the creation of our innovative ‘Heave Monitoring Site’ near Warwickshire to assess ground movement. The site has also been used to develop a platform that ties together data from a multitude of independent systems to present back integrated, real-time reporting and insights, which will significantly reduce cost, environmental impact and improve the productivity and safety of operations.
Eiffage Kier has trained 300 new entrants to the construction and engineering industry through its Training Hub sponsored by the CITB Construction Skills Fund and delivered by Bucks College Group. The courses are completely free and give people the qualifications to build a successful new future in the world of civil engineering.
The appointment of Ferrovial Agroman and BAM Nuttall will further strengthen the JV (35% Eiffage; 35% Kier; 15% BAM Nuttall ; 15% Ferrovial Agroman) and increase the capacity of skilled workers on the central section of the project. Ferrovial Agroman brings 60 years of rail experience, the last 30 of which include delivering high speed rail schemes around the world, including construction of 25% of the Spanish network and maintenance of 55%. Additionally, Ferrovial Agroman and BAM Nuttall offer in-depth working knowledge of the route as they are currently delivering the central section of the HS2 Enabling Works as two thirds of the Fusion joint venture.
Benoît de Ruffray, Chairman and CEO of Eiffage: “Eiffage and its partners welcome the UK Government announcement for the new high speed line HS2. We are very proud to contribute to this project which has become possible thanks to the collaborative approach set by HS2 Ltd since 2017. Whatever difficulties countries are currently facing, we stay confident in the fact that we will overcome the crisis and successfully deliver this ambitious project.”
Andrew Davies, CEO at Kier, said: “We are pleased that the Government has confirmed NTP for the HS2 project, allowing us to progress onto the next phase of works in delivering this vital infrastructure project. We have been successfully delivering the design and development phase since 2017 and working with our new partners BAM Nuttall and Ferrovial Agroman alongside Eiffage we will collectively bring invaluable knowledge and expertise throughout delivery to play our part in the most sustainable high-speed railway of its kind.”
Stephen Fox, Chief Executive, BAM Nuttall said “The Notice to Proceed for HS2 is extremely positive news, particularly at this difficult time for the country. BAM Nuttall is proud to be involved in this transformational scheme and we look forward to bringing our expertise to this key infrastructure project. BAM Nuttall is delighted to be working in collaboration with Eiffage, Kier and Ferrovial Agroman, and all other HS2 partners to deliver the inspirational vision set out by HS2 Ltd.”
Karl Goose, Managing Director, Ferrovial Agroman UK & Ireland: “This decision comes at an extremely important time for the UK. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to build on our HS2 enabling works experience and bring our expertise in infrastructure – high speed rail delivery in particular – to deliver further works for this vital scheme. This partnership is a deeply positive and definite step for us, our client, the supply chain and the UK, especially in light of the current global climate.”
BBV JV (Balfour Beatty Group Ltd, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, VINCI Construction UK Ltd, VINCI Construction Terrassement)
Balfour Beatty VINCI, is proceeding with its two main civil engineering contracts, worth a combined total of c. £5 billion.
Following Notice to Proceed, the 50:50 joint venture will commence the full detailed design and construction of both schemes. Balfour Beatty’s in-depth expertise of delivering critical major infrastructure across the world will combine and complement VINCI’s global capability in high speed rail and expertise in UK rail infrastructure projects.
The scope of works comprises extensive earthworks, ground engineering, viaducts and tunnels along a 90 kilometer stretch between the Long Itchington Wood Green tunnel in the south to the West Coast Main Line tie-in near Litchfield in the north with a major junction into central Birmingham at Curzon Street.
Notice to Proceed marks a major milestone in Britain’s largest regeneration project which will create thousands of employment opportunities, dramatically increase rail capacity and support the economic growth of the UK.
Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “HS2 is a transformational infrastructure scheme, underpinning both the economic resilience and future growth of the nation, during these unprecedented and challenging times.
“Notice to Proceed provides certainty for many businesses up and down the UK, and will drive investment in skills and capability for current and future generations.”
Preparatory works are due to start imminently with main construction to commence in earnest in the second quarter of 2021. All sites will be fully compliant with UK Government guidance for safe working practices in relation to social distancing.
At construction peak, a workforce of over 8,000 will be involved in delivering the scheme, many of whom will be locally employed. In addition, Balfour Beatty VINCI will offer approximately 400 apprenticeship and graduate opportunities.
The joint venture of Balfour Beatty, VINCI and SYSTRA was awarded the construction management contract for the c. £1 billion Old Oak Common station in 2019. Today’s announcement brings the number of packages the company will deliver on behalf of HS2 to three.
The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has welcomed the ‘Notice to Proceed’ for HS2 to begin the main construction works.
Photo credit: HS2
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