Network Rail awards Wales & Western signalling framework contract to Hitachi Rail and Linbrooke

The framework contract won by Hitachi Rail, working in partnership with Linbrooke covers the railway network in Wales, the Thames Valley, West of England and the South West peninsula. Amounting to over 2700 miles of track, the railway in these regions serves over 122 million passengers every year who over the next Control Period will see major benefits from the signalling upgrades and replacement that HItachi and Linbrooke will undertake. The framework went live on 30 January 2020.

Speaking on behalf of the Consortia, Jim Brewin, UK Country Lead, Hitachi Rail, and Jason Pearce, Managing Director, Linbrooke Rail, said:

“On behalf of both organisations, this award is a significant honour and a reflection of our individual companies’ successful track records in supporting UK rail. Working with our Wales and Western Network Rail partners, the consortia intend to deliver industry challenging connectivity and signalling technology for the benefit of passengers. We intend to draw upon Hitachi’s global solutions and products in order to improve people’s quality of life.”

Paul Wright, Network Rail’s commercial director, said: “The major signalling frameworks are the final awards in a three-tier approach to signalling delivery for Control Period 6. The awards have gone to suppliers that, between them, have many years of signalling experience and will help Network Rail facilitate key signalling renewals safely and efficiently. We look forward to working with the successful suppliers to deliver signalling projects that are truly on the side of passengers and freight users.”

Five framework contracts – worth an estimated £2.4bn over Control Period 6 (2019-2024), and up to £3.6bn including options to extend for the first two years of Control Period 7 (2024-2026) – will improve asset reliability and in turn reduce delays for the users of the railway – passengers and freight operators, while also increasing capacity on the network.

These frameworks allocated by Network Rail form part of a much wider new approach to commerciality, as it seeks to become more focused on securing better deals with the supply chain to deliver a better-value railway for passengers. The company’s ambition is to become easier to work with and a more efficient and dependable partner, while breaking down barriers to make it easier for other organisations to invest in and build on the railway. Through a comprehensive efficiency portfolio encompassing over 1,000 initiatives, Network Rail will save £3.5bn over CP6.

For more information please contact:

Jamie Hodge, Communications Manager, Hitachi Rail - jamie.hodge@hitachirail.com

Jack Harvey, Media Relations Manager, Network Rail - Jack.Harvey2@networkrail.co.uk