Exclusive: Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Costain among firms on shortlist for mega-project

Northern Line

Four consortiums including Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Costain have been shortlisted for the £600m extension to the Northern Line.

The official announcement of the shortlisted bidders is scheduled to happen soon, but Building understands firms in the running for the project were told last Friday who had been shortlisted.

Building understands the four shortlisted bidders are:

  • a consortium of Laing O’Rourke and Spanish contractor Ferrovial;
  • a joint venture between Costain and Sir Robert McAlpine;
  • a Balfour Beatty and Bam consortium;
  • and a consortium of Bechtel and Austrian firm Strabag

A number of the teams also have consultants on board.

Mott MacDonald is working on the Laing O’Rourke team and both Atkins and architect Weston Williamson are working with the Costain team.

The 3.3km line will run from Kennington through nine elms and down to Battersea Power Station which is currently being redeveloped.

The mega project will involve construction of two new stations at Battersea and Nine Elms, tunnelling and track work, installation of lifts and escalators, power supply and station fit out work; and design and build of the required civil engineering.

The project has already qualified for a funding guarantee under the government’s £40bn UK guarantees scheme.

A contract is due to be signed on 6 January 2014 with project completion scheduled for the end of 2019.

Boris Johnson, mayor of London, has previously described the scheme as a “huge commitment to London… that will significantly boost jobs and growth, keep the capital moving during the downturn and help us address the capacity issues that are critical to it remaining globally competitive”.