Balfour, Laing O'Rourke, Bechtel on Crossrail project delivery shortlist

Five companies including Bechtel, Laing O'Rourke and Balfour Beatty are vying for the role of project delivery partner on the £16bn Crossrail project.

Crossrail announced this morning that the five shortlisted firms for the £300-400m role are:

• Legacy 3 - a joint venture between Parsons Brinckerhoff and Balfour Beatty Management
• Bechtel
• Laing O'Rourke
• Flare - a joint venture between Fluor, Ove Arup, and EC Harris
• A joint venture between Capita Symonds and NNN

Meanwhile four companies have been invited to tender for the programme partner role. They are:

• Legacy 3
• Bechtel
• Transcend - a joint venture between AECOM, CH2M Hill, and Nichols Group
• Mouchel

Successful bidders are expected to be announced towards the end of the year.

Commenting on the announcement, Crossrail head of procurement Steve Rowsell said:

"We have been enormously impressed with the quality of and experience of the organisations that expressed an interest in these major contracts for Crossrail. It is clear that Crossrail has excited the construction industry and we look forward to working with the very best talents to ensure that Crossrail is delivered on time and on budget.”

Crossrail will run 118km across London, from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the West to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

Preparatory works will begin in 2009, with main construction starting at 2010. At the peak of the works, 14,000 people will be employed on the scheme, making it the biggest construction project in Europe.

Also announced this morning were the companies invited to tender for the design framework agreements. They are:

• Aedas Group Ltd
• Atkins
• BDP
• Capita Symonds
• A joint venture between Faber Maunsell Ltd and Gifford
• Halcrow Group
• Hyder Consulting
• Jacobs Engineering
• Mott MacDonald
• Mouchel
• Ove Arup & Partners International
• Parsons Brinckerhoff
• Scott Brownrigg
• Scott Wilson Railways
• WSP UK