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Rail upgrade

West of Leeds Alliance deal announced

Network Rail has announced award of a contract to an Amey, BAM Nuttall and Arup alliance for design of rail enhancements between Leeds and Manchester for the Transpennine Route Upgrade; coinciding with launch of the rail industry's Partnership for Prosperity plan

The West of Leeds Alliance, which includes client Network Rail in the pain-gain sharing alliance contract structure,  joins the East of Leeds Alliance on the Transpennine project. The contract for enhancements between Leeds and York was awarded to the East of Leeds Alliance team of Network Rail, Volker Rail, Murphy & Sons and Siemens in October 2014.

The Transpennine programme – part of Network Rail's Great North Rail project – is currently being designed for delivery of faster and more frequent and reliable services across the north of England between Newcastle, Hull and York in the east and Manchester and Liverpool in the west, via Leeds.

Network Rail and the Alliances are working collaboratively on development of design options for the Transpennine Route Upgrade and will submit these options to the Department for Transport (DfT) for consideration in December of this year.

Network Rail's West of Leeds Alliance manager, Tim Ketteringham, said: “The Transpennine Route Upgrade is a major programme of rail improvement that will have a real and lasting impact on people and communities in the North of England for generations to come; connecting towns and cities, improving journey times and supporting economic growth.  I am thrilled to be part of the Alliance of companies that is working together as one team to deliver this step change in rail travel.”

Paul McKeown, Director of Route Sponsorship for Network Rail’s London North Eastern and East Midlands route, said: “We are focused on developing the potential infrastructure enhancements that will lead to faster, more frequent and more reliable train services across the north and will submit these to the Department for Transport at the end of the year.”