Instead of operating through main contractors, it will be working directly with the 20 companies that will carry out tasks such as tiling and scaffolding. Three design firms have also been appointed.
The £330m ‘station stabilisation’ programme will see the stations modernised and maintained to a common standard over the next seven years. It is intended to avoid any significant additional work being needed for a further 10 years.
The appointed contractors are: Wingate, Delatim, Giffin Group, Atkins, Fourway, Magnolia, Emerald, Close Brothers, Livis, DMC, Excel, K&M McLoughlin, JNG, HA Marks, AGS, Community Clean, UKDN Waterflow, Lanes Group, Hillmore Fire Protection, Young & Young Security, Trad Scaffolding and Millcroft.
The three designers are Atkins, Jacobs and Capita.
The programme will use LU's 'Stake' delivery model, designed to create greater efficiency by reducing subcontractor layers in the supply chain. There are simplified contract arrangements with LU taking the majority of the risk.
LU's programme director for stations, Miles Ashley, said: “Construction supply chains have become multi-tiered and fragmented, and it could be said that the industry has lost sight of the importance of craft skills in delivering efficiently. Great craftsmanship is the key to the success of any infrastructure project, and our Stake approach allows long-term engagement with the people at the workface and recognises that they are the most valuable part of our team."
Plans included upgraded flooring, walls and ceilings, CCTV systems and energy-efficient lighting. Stations that will benefit from the work include Embankment, Paddington, Earls Court, South Kensington and Charing Cross.
LU will be engaging directly with small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to employ the craftspeople who will deliver work on-site. The seven-year programme is designed to enable suppliers and their craftspeople to work closely with LU to improve delivery with a focus on delivering high-quality work first time. It is also working with the successful suppliers to establish craft academies to support the aim of delivering work faster and on a larger scale. Academies will provide craft skills training as well as frontline leadership for supervisors and construction managers on the skills and practices needed to deliver the programme efficiently.
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