The switches and crossings contract is expected to be worth £156bn, and includes the design, manufacture and delivery of around 180 switches and crossings for the London - Birmingham - Lichfield Phase 1 and Lichfield - Crewe Phase 2a sections of the project, which, which includes a connection with the existing West Coast Main Line at Crewe.

The contract also includes around 77 rail expansion devices for track on viaducts and bridges, and will include options to equip the western leg of Phase 2b, between Crewe and Manchester, and maintenance depots.

The switches and crossings must be capable of supporting trains operating at speeds of up to 320km/h, with diverging speeds of 230km/h.

A shortlist of bidders will be announced in summer 2021, with the contract scheduled to be awarded in 2022.

Phase 1 stations

HS2 Ltd has also launched a tender for a £47m contract to provide systems at the four Phase 1 stations of London Euston, Old Oak Common in west London, Birmingham Interchange and Birmingham Curzon Street.

The contract covers:

  • public address and voice alarms
  • fire detection and alarms
  • building energy management
  • lighting controls
  • customer information, and
  • station information management systems.

A shortlist for the tender is planned to be announced in mid-2021, and the contract will be awarded in early 2022.

HS2 Ltd is also currently running a separate procurement process for four contracts to design and install track systems for the project, which will include the integration and installation of the switches and crossings supplied by this tender.

The announcement follows the awarding of a £260m contract to manufacture slab track sections (apart from tunnels and some structures) for the project to a consortium of Porr and Aggregate Industries UK in October.

Other tenders currently being run by HS2 Ltd cover electrification, power supply, command and control systems, communications, mechanical and electrical systems and the construction of a new depot at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

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