Nine bidders have been shortlisted to deliver up to £11.8Bn worth of major civil engineering work on High Speed 2 between London and Crewe.

 

This important milestone for the project came as the HS2 Phase One hybrid bill successfully passed its third reading in the House of Commons.

 

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Once again Parliament has backed HS2 and brought this vital new railway one step closer to reality. British contractors are now bidding to build the line, British apprentices are waiting to work on it and British cities are waiting to benefit from it.”

 

Civil engineering contracts covering the 225km from London to Birmingham are expected to be signed in 2017 with the start of work on site one year later. The following bidders have been shortlisted for at least one package of work each:

Firms which deliver the best results in terms of value and efficiency will be eligible to bid for work on an additional 65km between Birmingham and Crewe, due to open in 2027.

 

HS2 Ltd has also now begun formal tendering for up to £900M worth of enabling work including preparing sites for the start of construction and carrying out essential pre-construction activity such as utilities diversions and archaeological surveys.

 

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: “This major moment in the procurement process takes us a step further to getting spades in the ground next year, so construction can begin on this vital railway.”

 

A full update on High Speed 2’s latest progress will be published in the April issue of Transportation Professional.

 

(Photo: HS2 Limited)