Acting as client, Network Rail is seeking a main alliance partner to deliver over £1bn of non-signalling and around £350m of signalling works.

The vast alliance has attracted a strong line-up of bidders with Balfour Beatty forming a joint venture with Skanska. Bam has teamed up with Amey to form the other bidding JV while Laing O’Rourke, Volker and Atkins make up the third bid consortium.

A fourth team that was also chasing the alliance deal involved  Dragados / Babcock / Keltbray / Aecom but is believed to have dropped out of the running.

The Midlands Rail Hub programme will involve a major programme of works across the West, Central and East Midlands.

To deliver the programme Network Rail aims to create an Alliance set to run for eight years, first concentrating on works around Birmingham Moor Street.

The scope of works is currently divided into eight interventions across the three sections:

The most advanced in development is the West & Central Midlands programmes at Snow Hill, King’s Norton to Barnt Green and Birmingham Bordesley to Moor Street

Works within scope include the design and build of: new platforms and sidings; up to two new chords into Birmingham Moor Street; widening of existing viaduct; power supply upgrades; new freight loops; new overhead line equipment and various signalling works including the re-modelling of existing layouts.

The other two programmes have still to be finalised and are subject to funding decisions and design development:

• West & Central interventions at Worcester to Hereford and Stoke Works Junction
• East Midlands interventions at Water Orton and Nuneaton to Wigston.

The programme of works will be delivered under a NEC4-style Alliance Contract.