Balfour, Carillion, Morrison chase £130m Glasgow Airport rail link

Seven major players are on track to pitch for the key element of the flagship Glasgow Airport Rail Link project, worth between £90m and £130m.

Three of the contestants have got together to bid under the banner of BMV (Balfour Beatty / Morgan Est / Vinci).

Irish firm Roadbridge will price the job in joint venture with John Sisk.

The remaining two contractors, Morrison Construction and Carillion, will pitch as lone raiders.

It is understood that Skanska also looked at the project, but decided against tendering for it.

The tender competition is due to kick off in spring, which means that the rail link is set to be operational early in 2014.

The winner of the contest will build the St James Spur - the main 2 km-long branch line viaduct stretching across the M8 to the new airport station.

The main rail link uses the existing line between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street, with track upgrade work from Shields Junction to Arkleston Junction to reinstate a third track.

Transport Scotland took over the project last summer and following pre-tender meetings with contractors, certain elements of the main contract will now be bid separately to reduce the level of cost risks on the scheme.