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Thameslink tempts Laing O’Rourke into joint venture

Loner teams up with erstwhile Channel Tunnel partner Costain for rail
refurb scheme
Laing O’Rourke is in a rare joint venture with a rival for key contracts
on Network Rail’s £5.5 billion Thameslink upgrade.

The firm tends to go it alone on big jobs but has hooked up with Costain
for work on two contracts of the programme.

O’Rourke has collaborated with Costain before for work on the Channel
Tunnel Rail Link at St Pancras station in north London. The pair are
renewing the relationship to work on the revamp of Farringdon and
Blackfriars stations.

One source said: “It’s unusual for Laing to be doing this but I think
they’re losing their arrogance which says they can go it alone all the
time. They’re becoming a bit more open about things.”

In all, 11 firms are competing for three jobs worth nearly £400 million
on a key part of the route.

Tenders are due to go back the week beginning November 5.

Four, including Balfour Beatty, which has the preconstruction contract,
are in the running for the biggest project at Blackfriars.

Construction on the £240 million contract starts in 2009. It requires
the extension of the existing platforms across the River Thames as well
as a new roof over the entire length of the bridge, an extra entrance on
the South Bank and redevelopment of the existing station.

One bidder said: “Network Rail told us it’s a two-stage process but we
think it’s more likely it will cost around £250 million. They also said
they want the emphasis on quality rather than price.”

Borough Viaduct and Farring-don have three bidders each. The two jobs
carry respective price tags of £63 million and £77 million.

Work at Farringdon is also due to start in 2009 and involves extending
platforms to take the promised 12-carriage trains. The station will be
redesigned with a new footbridge and entrance.

Further south at Borough Viaduct the winning contractor will build a new
viaduct parallel to the existing one, which will be widened.

The Thameslink programme, which was approved by the Government earlier
this year, is part of Network Rail’s plan to ease congestion on one of
the busiest commuter routes in London by doubling capacity.

London Bridge is the other station in the capital scheduled for
improvement. The number of through platforms will be increased and
passenger capacity and facilities will be improved.

Work to lengthen 50 platforms outside central London to accommodate
longer trains in the future will take place between 2007 and 2010.

The first station to be completed will be Luton Airport Parkway . The
whole project is due to be finished by 2015.