BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has signed a framework contract worth £1.1bn with four contractors for the operation of track maintenance machines across the national network. They are:
- Balfour Beatty Rail
- Colas Rail
- Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SB Rail), and
- VolkerRail Specialist Businesses.
The contract will run for eight years, from April 2025 to March 2033, with the possibility of a two-year extension. During this time the contractors will provide around 70 track maintenance machines, including tampers and ballast regulators. They will also supply operational and support personnel for routine maintenance, renewal and upgrade work.
The value of the contract is based on actual and forecast volumes of tamping and regulating shifts that Network Rail will require to maintain, improve and renew track across the network.
The contractors will compete throughout the contract period, providing NR with the flexibility to remove a poorly performing supplier or underperforming machines from the contract.
The contract also enables NR to alter the number of machines and shifts required each year to meet demand, both up and down. While the contractors will work exclusively for NR, they will own the machines and will be responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of their respective fleets. Over the duration of the contract, a total of 75 machines are expected to be deployed, as follows:
- Balfour Beatty Rail: 11
- Colas Rail: 31
- SB Rail: 20, and
- VolkerRail Specialist Businesses: 13.
"The longevity of the contracts gives our suppliers the confidence to invest in new plant and update their fleets, ensuring the deployment of the latest machines and technologies,” says Clive Berrington, NR group director, railway business services. “As part of our ongoing focus on sustainability, the new machines will also have an improved carbon footprint, fostering innovation across the industry."
