Ch2m Atkins Sener confirmed HS2 delivery partner

A joint venture of Ch2m Atkins and Sener has been confirmed by HS2 Ltd as engineering delivery partner for Phase One of the high speed line from London to Birmingham. Widely rumoured over recent weeks, the appointment puts the Ch2m Atkins Sener team in place for supporting procurement of the main HS2 civils contracts, plus providing critical design support, project engineering, construction management and technical assurance. The winning team, which beat off competition from consortia led by Bechtel and Ramboll, will be based at HS2 Ltd's offices in Birmingham to create an integrated client organisation.

The HS2 hybrid bill is currently being prepared for its third and final reading in the House of Commons before passing into the Lords and is expected to receive Royal Assent later this year, for construction to begin in 2017.

HS2's construction MD, Jim Crawford, said: "Today’s contract award marks an important milestone as we continue to move towards the start of construction. It is vital that we constantly challenge our suppliers to ensure we deliver long-term value for money for the taxpayer as well as a world-class railway for all our passengers, stakeholders and communities along the line.

"I’m pleased to welcome Ch2m Atkins Sener to the team and look forward to seeing HS2 benefiting from their considerable skills and experience of delivering world-class infrastructure on time and on budget."

Phase One of HS2 is currently expected to be delivered at £24.3bn. The target completion date for the line to Birmingham is 2026.