HS2 construction consortium formed to bid for contracts

Three major UK and European construction companies have combined to form a joint venture to bid for work on HS2, with Royal Assent expected to give the go-ahead in 2016.

Laing O’Rourke Group, FCC Construcción and Murphy will seek contracts for the construction of Phase 1 of the line between London and Birmingham as LFM.

The tendering process for £900m of enabling works on HS2 began recently, with work packages covering the North, Central and South areas of HS2 Phase 1. The new consortium will apply a “lean, value-added strategy” towards the bid framework. Laing O’Rourke and Murphy will initially target the enabling works contracts on the project, while FCC Construcción will join the team to compete for the main Tier 1 packages later in the year.

The joint venture combines experience in delivering major rail projects as well as global expertise in tunnelling and station development and delivery. Each partner has a record in key areas such as engineering innovation, including off-site manufacturing, sustainability, employment, training and skills development.

Laing O’Rourke High Speed Rail Project Director Nadia Savage, speaking on behalf of LFM said: “LFM combines international best practice high speed rail experience with offsite manufacturing expertise and a UK-based directly employed workforce.  Our lean and staged strategy will add value where and when it’s needed, providing a cost conscious, shaped and positive approach to meet the client’s needs precisely. 

“We will engage with the supply chain to establish a robust, sustainable network of suppliers to achieve the UK Government’s and HS2 Ltd’s aim of ensuring that SMEs are afforded the chance to secure 60% of the works, while providing opportunities for a future generation of construction professionals.”