Tram scheme gets rolling

by Brian Warner



An international line-up of major contractors has registered interest in pitching for a £500m "supertram" project in Leeds.

The UK contingent for the Public Private Partnership deal includes Mowlem, Balfour Beatty, Sir Robert McAlpine and Amec.

According to a source at West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, which is promoting the scheme in tandem with the city council, firms from mainland Europe, US and Canada could also join the fray.

The clients already have the lion's share of the consultants' team on board and plan to invite consortia to prequalify for constructing and operating the scheme by advertising in the OJEC in September this year.

Four groups will be shortlisted to tender early next year, with two consortia asked to work up best and final offers around October 2002.

A preferred bidder for the 30-year concession is due to emerge in July 2003, with work on site expected to start in earnest later that year or by early 2004. The system should be up and running by the end of 2007.

Consultants on board so far are: Turner & Townsend (project manager); Babtie (utilities consultant); and PricewaterhouseCoopers (financial advisor). Technical and legal consultants should be appointed within the next few weeks.

The "supertram" network includes 28km of track and 50 stations, as well as four park-and-ride sites with space for a total of about 4,500 vehicles.

The Leeds project is one of three light rail schemes announced by the government in a pre-election flourish earlier this year.

Next off the blocks will be a £190m project between Fareham and Gosport, including a 1km tunnel beneath Portsmouth Harbour.

The Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council scheme will be advertised in the OJEC in October or November this year. Construction work could start within two years.

And a £200m deal in Bristol is expected to get the full go-ahead from the government within the next four months.