Consortium breaks Arup’s dominance by scooping key feasibility contract for HS2 planning

A Scott Wilson/Mott MacDonald consortium has bagged one of the key feasibility contracts for the UK’s new high speed rail network, breaking Arup’s dominance over HS2 planning.

The consortium will conduct architectural, infrastructural and operational studies for the section of the line that runs from Birmingham to Manchester.

Arup won a second contract for the line running from Birmingham to Leeds. Sources say that the combined value of the contracts would be around £2m.

WSP made it down to the final three but failed to win either of the contracts.

Arup have already been working on feasibility studies for the line from London to Birmingham since May 2009.