London transport minister, Steven Byers has given the green light to the PPP upgrade of London’s ailing underground network heralding the start of billions of dollars in investment designed to bring the system into the 21st Century.
Two JV’s, Metronet and Tube Lines who were chosen by London Underground (LU), will be charged with carrying out the US$22.5bn improvements planned over the next 15 years, US$11.2bn on trains and signals, US$6.3bn on track and US$4.9bn on stations.
To simplify the complex underground structure, LU has split the network into three infrastructures called the BCV, SSL and JNP infracos. Metronet will oversee the work on the BCV section including the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and Waterloo and City Lines and the SSL, made up of the Circle, District, Metropolitan, Hammersmith And City and the East London Lines. The consortium, consisting of Balfour Beatty/WS Atkins/Thames Water/Seeboard/ Bombadier, has said that its shareholder companies will carry out the extensive works.
Tube Lines takes over the JNP section that covers the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly Lines and has adopted a different approach. The Jarvis/Amey/Bechtel JV has started advertising in The Official Journal of the European Community for contractors to work on its US$2.8bn first stage renovations.
LU will pay the contractors to maintain and manage the signals, tracks, stations and trains for 30 years.
