Network Rail has announced Morgan Sindall Infrastructure will be among their trusted suppliers involved in delivering Wales and Western region’s £2bn programme of works over the next eight years. The contractor will deliver structural renewal of assets such as bridges, tunnels and culverts in the Western region.
The framework plays a key part in a new way of working where Wales and Western region will work collaboratively with trusted suppliers over a longer term to deliver faster and more efficient projects, achieving greater value for money for the public purse.
"We continue to build a strong track record delivering multiple projects within a framework context as we support Network Rail to improve their structural assets, providing a reliable and positive experience for passengers in the region for years to come."
Simon Smith, managing director for Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said: “We’re delighted to secure a place on the CP7 framework, continuing our relationship with Network Rail in the Wales and Western region.
“This award will enable us to further invest and develop skills within the area, including with our local supply chain. We continue to build a strong track record delivering multiple projects within a framework context as we support Network Rail to improve their structural assets, providing a reliable and positive experience for passengers in the region for years to come.”
By packaging the work into one portfolio Network Rail is expecting efficiencies in time and cost through best use of resources, consistency, continual improvement as well as better coordinated access to the railway and a focus on innovative solutions.
This new approach will enable Wales and Western and suppliers to work much more collaboratively across a longer-term pipeline of work, enabling better management of resources and supply chain, and help to deliver the right project solutions working closely with Network Rail.
Trains running along the coastline in Devon during our Parsons Tunnel North Portal project with Network Rail
In turn, Wales and Western is committed to working with suppliers to find new ways of working in line with the principles of the SPEED approach to project delivery, focusing on the right solutions at the right cost, delivering faster and more efficiently, and providing value for money for taxpayers. The longer-term collaboration and commercial focus will encourage this more effective contracting and help improve how Network Rail and suppliers design, plan and develop projects to deliver better outcomes for passengers, freight and funders.
These framework contracts form part of Wales and Western’s overall programme to develop long-term supply relationships and will be followed by similar contracts for signalling later in 2023.
Stuart Calvert, capital delivery director for Network Rail’s Wales & Western region, said: “We have made real progress in transforming the delivery of our investment projects, reducing the time and cost of our work, as we saw with completion of the Dartmoor Line to Okehampton.
“We're taking this same approach to our renewals, and it's very important that we select excellent suppliers and work collaboratively to get the same sort of benefits which will ultimately support better service for our passengers and freight customers. I'm very excited with these new contracts and look forward to developing the portfolio of works with them.”
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