Costain and Morgan Sindall have been appointed to carry out the main infrastructure works on the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
Network Rail plans to complete the main electrification works on the railway linking Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley stations by 2016.
The £250 million alliancing contract includes route clearance works at Winchburgh Tunnel, rail infrastructure works at Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley stations and platform extension works at Croy, Falkirk High, Polmont and Linlithgow.
The Scottish Government is funding the £742 million project in a bid to reduce journey times and increase capacity on the vital corridor.
Scotland’s Transport Minister, Keith Brown, said: “This £250 million contract marks a significant milestone in the EGIP project, which will provide 20 per cent quicker journey times, 30 per cent more capacity and a complete overhaul of stations in both cities, with the new-look Haymarket station already completed on time and under budget and the planned transformation of Queen Street station into a 21st century transport hub.
“The Scottish Government’s record levels of investment in our railways is achieving even more than improved train journeys. It’s providing jobs and training opportunities such as those in the Babcock Training Facility in Hamilton where we are making this announcement.”
Not sure of the relevance of the reference to a Babcock training facility when the contract award is to Morgan Sindall & Costains?
The contract was announced at the Babcock Training Facility Jeff. Babcock are training Overhead Linesman and other staff required to carry out the work