Civils firm Colas Rail has scooped up a \u00a3206.9m job to develop HS2\u2019s overhead wiring system.<\/p>\n
The contractor will now design, manufacture, install and test HS2’s overhead catenary system (OCS), for 469km worth of track.<\/p>\n
That will include overhead wiring to supply electric power for 250 bridges, 58 viaducts, 47 underbridges and 148 overbridges, according to a tender notice released last Thursday (6 February).<\/p>\n
Colas Rail’s OCS will also cover 115 culverts and 99 high-speed turnouts. These are switches enabling trains to move from one track to another at speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour.<\/p>\n
In addition, the contractor’s work will cover 32 low-to-medium speed turnouts (where trains will run at up to 100km per hour) and four complex track junctions.<\/p>\n
The project is not the first HS2 construction job involving Colas Rail. Last April, Construction News <\/em>visited the station box at HS2\u2019s Old Oak Common station in London \u2013 where the firm is providing infrastructure for six overground tracks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Colas Rail generated a pre-tax profit of \u00a327.9m from record turnover of \u00a3403.7m<\/a> in its most recent accounts for the 2023 calendar year.<\/p>\n In contrast, its sister firm Colas Limited described\u00a0 \u201cincreasing, irrecoverable costs\u201d<\/a> on a number of projects in 2023 in its most recent accounts. The firm decided in November 2023 to scrap its regional business units as a consequence.<\/p>\n HS2 has also faced a challenging start to the year. Last month, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority gave it a red ‘unachievable’ rating<\/a> for the second consecutive year.<\/p>\n