Amey has secured a contract with Network Rail to provide systemwide integration for the first phase of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme.
The appointment was made through Network Rail’s Development and Design Partnership Framework. Amey will act as system integrator across six major projects, with responsibility for ensuring they are developed as one coherent railway rather than as separate schemes.
Assessing the network as a whole
The work covers the Bradford to Leeds, Leeds station, Leeds to York and Leeds to Sheffield corridors. Amey will provide system engineering leadership and work with Network Rail and subcontractors to develop a Network Option Selection Report.
The report is expected to bring together measures including journey times, network performance, maintainability, constructability, sustainability, cost estimates, benefits mapping, and land and consents requirements.
Amey said its whole-system approach would help assess how the individual projects work together and whether their combined benefits deliver greater value for passengers, communities and the wider rail network.
Colin Wood, managing director at Amey, said: “We are pleased to have secured another major contract as part of the Development and Design Partnership Framework. It reflects the confidence Network Rail has in our ability to deliver complex programmes and develop solutions that deliver benefits across the network as a whole.
“At Amey, we believe major rail programmes succeed when individual projects are designed and delivered as part of a wider, integrated system. The Northern Powerhouse Rail programme has the potential to transform connectivity across the North of England, and we are proud to be supporting the development of a joined-up railway solution that balances performance, resilience and long-term value for local communities. We look forward to working with Network Rail and partners to help shape the next phase of this important programme.”
The contract follows Amey’s recent appointment to deliver work on the Leeds to Sheffield corridor for NPR, and adds to its work with Network Rail.