HS2 has unveiled a six-strong shortlist of bidders invited to tender for its £240m Advanced Civil Works (ACW) contract, a major two-part enabling works contract for a new section of the high speed rail network extending from the West Midlands to Crewe.

The following bidders have been invited to tender for the contracts, which will deliver critical preparatory works along the recently approved Phase 2a section of HS2:

• BAM Construction Ltd;
• Galliford Try Construction Ltd;
• John Graham Construction Ltd;
• Kier Construction Ltd;
• Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd;
• Skanska Construction Ltd.

Activity will include land assembly; environmental mitigation; establishment of haul routes and site compounds and preparing the trace of the line – all of which will enable rapid mobilisation and the start of main civils works in summer 2024.

The three year-long base price £240m contract splits work along the route into two separate packages, with one contractor delivering the works on the northern sections and a separate contractor delivering works for the southern sections. Work is due to begin in autumn 2022.

Given the similarity of scope for the north and south contracts, bidders must bid for both contracts but will not be able to win both packages for capacity and resilience reasons.

The shortlist announcement follows HS2 Ltd beginning the search for the Phase 2a Design and Delivery Partner (DDP), when in June it published the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for the £500m contract.

The winning bidder for the DDP package will work with HS2 Ltd to lead the delivery of the 36-mile route, including managing and co-ordinating key contracts for delivering the railway’s detailed design and construction, which includes 17 viaducts, 65 bridges and track along the route extending from Phase One in the Midlands to the southern outskirts of Crewe.

Ruth Todd, HS2 Ltd chief commercial officer, said: “Our announcement today marks another significant step forward in delivery of the next phase of Britain’s high speed railway, which will provide low carbon transport for millions of people. Extending the Phase 2a route to Crewe will support 6,500 construction jobs and deliver new infrastructure that frees up capacity on the West Coast railway and shortens journey times together with an improved passenger experience.”

The Advanced Civil Works contract is being tendered via the Government’s existing Crown Commercial Services Construction Works and Associated Services framework.