Designers on the Crossrail framework have been told that they can bid for a maximum of two central London stations

Crossrail initially put no restriction on the number of schemes that firms could go for, but now they must select two out of Paddington, Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel. All four were recently released as part of the same tender package.

A senior source at an engineering firm said the change was “reasonable because trying to bid for four was too much”.

Scott Wilson has already won the £10m Farringdon station contract and a team of Arup and Atkins scooped Tottenham Court Road. Capita Symonds, Hyder, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and WSP are also on the framework.

The £15.9bn cross-London railway is set to be completed by 2017.