Network Rail chooses 7 for £800m track enhancements framework

Network Rail has announced the names of seven contractors who will form its £800m track enhancement framework - and warned that it wanted more value for money from its track renewals programme.

The seven contractors are:

• Amey Colas
• Babcock Rail
• Balfour Beatty
• Jarvis
• Carillion
• Grant Rail
• Trackwork

The first four of these firms are existing NR track renewals contractors. The work available includes line-speed and junction improvements and work on big projects such as Thameslink and Reading.

Meanwhile, NR has said it wants more out of its track renewals contractors during the next five-year period, when £4bn will be invested.

NR said: "Total outputs for the five years will remain as previously planned although adjustment in phasing in the early part of the period will result in less volume of track renewals in the first year to allow time for new, more efficient ways of working to take effect, delivering the value for money needed to meet tough ORR output targets."

Simon Kirby, NR director of infrastructure investment, added: "We continue to invest in our railway to deliver ever higher levels of reliability for the passenger and freight users. But we must deliver value for money for this work and it makes sense to take advantage of new, more efficient methods of working in our future planned work.

"With smarter and more mechanised ways of carrying out track renewals coming on stream in a few years time, reducing volumes next year and ramping up in the years that follow will help to deliver the savings we need if we're to meet ORR output targets."