East West Railway Company has launched a procurement process for a framework worth up to £450m to prepare future stages of East West Rail for construction.
image: EWR
The Programme Support Works Framework will cover surveys, enabling works and other activities intended to reduce delivery risks and support the mobilisation of contractors for the main construction programme.
The framework will support preparation for the remaining stages of the railway, which is being developed to connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. The Oxford–Bicester route is already operating and the Bicester–Bletchley section has been rebuilt and is awaiting the start of passenger services. Further work is planned to extend the railway towards Bedford and Cambridge.
The framework will cover six lots, including ground investigations, archaeological work, environmental surveys and mitigation, and site establishment.
A single contractor will be appointed as principal contractor and integrator, with responsibility for coordinating work across the framework, managing site safety and maintaining the overall programme. The role has an estimated value of £80m.
Multiple suppliers will be appointed to each of the five specialist lots, with the procurement structured to encourage participation by small and medium-sized enterprises and tier two and three contractors.
The largest specialist package is the £133m enabling works lot. It includes construction compounds, temporary access roads and haul routes, drainage, fencing and bases for temporary structures. It will also cover utilities detection, trial holes and trenching to identify underground services and reduce the risk of later diversions.
Other packages include £40m for ground investigation and monitoring, £20m for environmental and ecological mitigation, £7.5m for historic environment work and £7m for environmental and ecological surveys.
The framework is scheduled to begin in February 2028, with an initial four-year term and options to extend to January 2036. The estimated £450m value is indicative and does not commit East West Rail to spending the full amount. Network Rail will also be able to use the framework.
Companies have until 13 November 2026 to submit requests to participate, with the contract award expected in January 2028.