The five-year contracts are part of a new managed services facility arrangement, designed to enable greater integration with the two suppliers, allowing early engagement and increased collaboration on discrete packages of work, Network Rail says.
STE’s packages of work are currently bundled put together and tendered via route services contracts and procurement. These arrangements will continue. The managed services facility is a separate arrangement specifically with Altran and Aecom.
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s group safety, technical and engineering director, said: “The managed services facility is a new, innovative contractual arrangement that has been developed to help us successfully deliver on our CP6 commitments. It will be particularly helpful in managing the significant peaks we can experience in work activity, and reduce the pressure those peaks place on our workforce.
“Both Altran and Aecom will provide us with additional capacity and capability to deliver and access to new and innovative ideas from other industries. This will ultimately deliver benefits for our passengers and freight users, particularly around safety and reliability.
“This is only the start of the journey and we look forward to working closely with both suppliers to develop and shape the work packages that need to be delivered.”
Aecom divisional managing director Mark Southwell said: “The framework enables a new way of working that encourages collaboration with Network Rail, Aecom and Altran.”
Altran director John Napier said: “We’ve enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Network Rail over many years, with recent successes on Thameslink and DMWS (COMPASS). This new contract provides an opportunity to build a mature and lasting partnership with Network Rail, and we’re excited to get started on delivering key elements of the CP6 commitments.”
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