BAM Nuttall awarded £220m Borders Railway construction contract

Network Rail has appointed BAM Nuttall as main contractor for the delivery of the new Borders Railway.

The £220m contract announced today includes detailed design and construction works for the new line and will see around 500 jobs created by the project between now and 2015.

The Borders Railway, which will enter service in 2015, will re-establish a passenger rail link for the first time in over 40 years from Edinburgh through Midlothian to Tweedbank.

The line will include 30 miles of new railway with three existing stations and seven new ones – at Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank.

David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: “The appointment of BAM Nuttall as our main contractor signals the start of the delivery of the new railway for the communities it will serve.

“BAM Nuttall has already been working closely with Network Rail in drawing up initial designs for the new line and can now carry that momentum into the delivery of the main construction phase as we work to complete the new line for the start of services in 2015.”

Stephen Fox, Chief Executive of BAM Nuttall added: “We are delighted to be starting work on delivering this significant rail project on behalf of the people of Scotland and our customer Network Rail.

“This scheme brings together the engineering strengths of the BAM Group and will create significant local employment opportunities. In addition it will provide a much needed rail link to those rural communities living in the Scottish borders region”.

Network Rail, the owner-operator of Britain’s railways, is delivering the Borders Railway on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The awarding of this contract so quickly after Network Rail took over delivery of the Borders Railway is a huge step forward for this vital project.

“Work is already well underway on the site and the people of the Borders and Midlothian areas will soon be able to see the actual construction begin and the Borders Railway begin to take shape. And all the partners will continue to work together to see if we can find a way to deliver the project even earlier than 2015.

“This is a very exciting milestone for a community which has waited over 40 years for the return of the railway and they will soon begin to reap the very real benefits of this project in terms of investment to the area, increased tourism and improved accessibility to employment opportunities.”

Once complete, the Borders Railway will offer a fast and efficient alternative to the congested local road network and passengers will be able to travel direct from Tweedbank to Edinburgh Waverley in less than an hour at peak times.

The railway is expected to deliver major economic and social development opportunities – connecting people to jobs, housing, leisure opportunities and other facilities.

The project is a key part of the Scottish Government’s wider programme of investment in transport infrastructure, working towards the sustainable economic growth of Scotland.

Network Rail will begin construction of the line in early 2013 and will commission the new 30 mile railway and new stations by the summer of 2015. The capital construction cost of the line will total £294m, at 2012 prices.

Construction work will take place simultaneously along the line of route, centred on three main project hubs in Fountainhall, Tweedbank and Monktonhall.

BAM Nuttall will also be hosting a ‘meet the buyers’ event to engage with local suppliers before construction works commence.