High Speed Two (HS2) Limited today announced that ALIGN, the bidding joint venture (JV) of Bouygues Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick, with its design partners, Jacobs and Ingerop, has been awarded the £965m Chilterns Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct main works civils contract (Lot C1), a key section of Phase One of the HS2 high-speed rail network between London and Birmingham.
Ingerop group (which includes Rendel as a fully-owned subsidiary) is one of France’s leading independent consultancies and has extensive high-speed railway experience which includes the recent Brittany to Loire high-speed line.
Jacobs is one of the world’s largest providers of technical, professional and construction services with global high-speed rail expertise includes projects such as the California high- speed rail line and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
The ALIGN JV will be responsible for the design and build of the main civil works of the 22km section of the high-speed rail line, running between the Colne Valley and the Chilterns. The C1 lot includes the route’s 3.4km- long Colne Valley Viaduct, as well as the 15.8km-long Chiltern twin-tunnels.
During the first stage of the contract, ALIGN will complete the scheme design, produce the construction programme and launch its key procurement activities. Following Stage One - an expected 16-month period - HS2 will issue notice to proceed with Stage Two, including the implementation of detailed design and construction works.
ALIGN combines world-class experience with award-winning industry practice in whole-life infrastructure delivery, specifically with leading-edge high-speed railways, one example of which is currently being delivered by Bouygues Construction on the new Nimes-Montpelier Bypass.
The ALIGN partners have an impressive, and successful track record of major project innovation, design and construction. They have worked closely together for over two years to consolidate their collaborative culture, and their corporate values and practices so as to stand ready and able to deliver for HS2.
The Chairman of the board of ALIGN, Geoff French said “We are delighted that our team’s passion for HS2 and their boundless dedication have been so remarkably rewarded. We are now proudly part of a nationally transformational project that will be a catalyst for growth for the UK, with a mandate by HS2 Ltd and our government to demonstrate outstanding industry standards to the world, but most importantly to leave a proud legacy for Britain’s future.”
About their contract award, Jérôme Furgé, Project Director of Align said; “With this award, Align has an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with HS2 and some of the greatest civil engineering companies in the world. Using our extensive high-speed rail experience gained in France and elsewhere, we look forward to bringing the best of tried and tested innovations, along with the utmost iconic railway design, to the local communities along the HS2 route”.
