VolkerFitzpatrick, Costain, BAM Nuttall and Geoffrey Osborne will work with Network Rail’s regional infrastructure projects business to build a bigger, better railway on the Anglia, Kent, Sussex and Wessex routes.

The framework agreements cover almost half Network Rail’s £2.5bn workbank for the 2014-19 funding period in the region.

This includes delivering longer platforms for longer trains on key commuter routes, station enhancements, new footbridges to improve accessibility and upgrades to bridges, embankments and tunnels.

The CP5 framework comes into force on 1 April 2014.

Nick Elliott, southern regional director for infrastructure projects, Network Rail, said: “Our plans for the next five years will help deliver a 20% increase in the number of seats into London at the busiest times of day.

“We’ll do this not only through big, high-profile schemes, but also by targeted investment to lengthen platforms, improve stations, increase accessibility and make our infrastructure more reliable across London and the south east.”

These latest frameworks agreements have been designed to encourage increased collaboration between Network Rail and its partners.

They set out shared objectives to enable both sides to share in risk and reward and to incentivise safe, efficient project delivery.

Safety accounted for 15% of the evaluation criteria for suppliers, which is a significant increase on previous frameworks and highlights Network Rail’s commitment to improving workforce safety.

Nick Elliott continued: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do, so it is right that we reflect that in the way we choose our supply partners.

“This represents a significant change to the way we assess safety and underlines our commitment to delivering a fundamental improvement in workforce safety within the rail industry.”