With frameworks launched, alliances renewed, and new projects announced, May and June were busy months for the infrastructure pipeline. Here’s a roundup of the latest developments.
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National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) has awarded J Murphy & Sons a multi-million-pound contract to build a major new substation at Uxbridge Moor. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the UK and is designed to meet rising electricity demand west of London.
Works include 400kV and 132kV gas-insulated substations, underground cabling, and a new access road and bridge.
Balfour Beatty has been awarded an £833m contract to deliver the onshore infrastructure for the Net Zero Teesside Power project, the world’s first gas-fired power station with integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Balfour Beatty will work alongside Technip Energies and GE Vernova (who were awarded work on this project at the end of 2024).
Construction is expected to begin in mid-2025 and complete in 2028.
Procurement body Fusion21 has awarded a £1.5bn, four-year decarbonisation framework to 40 specialist firms, include Wates, BAM FM, Morgan Sindall, VINCI, and a strong mix of SMEs.
The contract covers two areas: whole house retrofit works and the decarbonisation of public and educational buildings. It supports government-backed schemes such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Find a full list of the successful suppliers here.
Wessex Water has awarded a five-year framework contract, with a possible three-year extension, to over 40 specialist firms for M&E minor works under its AMP8 investment programme.
The contract is divided into three lots. Lot 1 covers M&E contractors handling pumping station upgrades, automation, decommissioning, cabling, and environmental monitoring. Lot 2 covers small electrical works like control panels, lighting and cabling. Lot 3 covers mechanical tasks including pump and monitor maintenance and testing.
Find a full list of framework winners here.
Anglian Water has renewed its Integrated Operational Solutions alliance with Kier, Barhale, and M Group, signing a new five-year contract as part of their £11bn AMP8 investment programme.
Under the framework, the IOS Alliance will deliver £400 million of capital projects focused on water and water recycling infrastructure across the Anglian Water region.
Anglian Water’s proposed reservoirs in Lincolnshire and the Fens have been classified as nationally significant infrastructure projects, allowing them to bypass local planning and go through the central government’s Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order.
Both are part of a national plan to build nine reservoirs by 2050 to improve drought resilience. This marks the first time in over 30 years that major new reservoirs in England will follow this fast-track approval route.
The UK Government has launched its largest-ever flood defence programme, committing £7.9bn in capital investment over the next 10 years. The funding will over traditional infrastructure, such as high-performance flood barriers, as well as nature-based solutions like wetland restoration.
In the first three years (2026-2029), £4.2bn will be allocated for both new defences and maintenance of existing ones.
Siemens has been awarded a long-term rail infrastructure and maintenance framework by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), with a total value exceeding €100m over 20 years.
They will install the Siemens Trackguard Westlock computer-based interlocking system within the National Train Control Centre in Dublin.
Siemens will begin the systems rollout in Dublin and extend across the national network by 2040.
Transport for Greater Manchester has appointed a range of specialists to its new four-year Transport Professional Services (TPS) Framework to support delivery of the Bee Network.
The £2.5bn programme will deliver improvements across bus, tram, cycling, and walking infrastructure. The awarded consultants with provide professional services across 16 lots; services include project management, design, engineering, strategy, and legal.
Find a full list of the successful firms here.
TfL has launched a second public consultation on plans to extend the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside, including two new stations and a tunnel under the River Thames.
TfL, the GLA, and local councils are working on a full business case and funding plan, due by Autumn 2025. Subject to approvals and financing, construction is planned to start in the late 2020s with services running by the early 2030s.
TfL is also preparing to launch a £700m infrastructure framework for civils, M&E, and major station upgrades across London. The initiative includes significant project such as the £80m South Kensington and £60m Elephant & Castle station enhancements, as well as £200m allocated for Step Free Access packages.
The full selection of contractors is expected to be finalised by October.
Network Rail has awarded contracts to British Steel, Saarstahl Rail, Voestalpine, and Archelor Mittal to supply rail for the next five years.
The new contracts go live from 1st July.
Find more information here.
The Department for Transport has appointed a consortium led by Costain, alongside GHD, Integen, North Star and SLC Rail, to provide technical and commercial advice on developing a range of rail infrastructure enhancement projects across the Western, Wales and Wessex regions. The two-year contract began in April 2025, with options for further extensions.
Systra has been awarded a €200 million contract by SNCF Réseau to provide project management assistance for the New Southwest Line (Ligne Nouvelle Sud-Ouest – LNSO), France's largest rail infrastructure project.
This nine-year contract encompasses the development of a high-speed rail line connecting Bordeaux to Toulouse and Dax, aiming to enhance regional connectivity and reduce travel times. Systra's role includes overseeing the design, construction, and testing phases of the 418 km line.
Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure has awarded a £114 million, four-year framework for minor local road improvement works across the region.
The TRAM (Transport and Road Asset Management) framework was awarded to eight firms: John McQuillan Contracts Ltd, FP McCann, Gerald Love Contracts, Gibson 2023 Joint Venture and Gibson Quarries Bandbridge Ltd, Northstone Materials, Patrick Keenan, and Whitemountain Quarries.
Full details here.
North Somerset Council has appointed Octavius to deliver a £31m design-and-build package across five sections of the A38 corridor, funded by the Department for Transport under the Major Road Network scheme.
Somerset Council will separately procure a contractor for four remaining sites between Sidcot and Edithmead.
National Highways has awarded six contracts under its £495m SPATS3 framework, which will run for six years to support the Road Investment Strategy 3. The framework covers consultancy, engineering, research and environmental services.
The six winning firms are an AtkinsRéalis Jacobs Joint Venture, Ove Arup & Partners, Amey, Arcadis, Costain and WSP.
National Highways is preparing a new £14.5bn procurement framework, Scheme Delivery Framework 2 (SDF2), to replace its current models for delivering upgrades and maintenance across England’s motorways and major A roads.
The framework, set to run from 2027 to 2035, will be open to a wide range of suppliers, including SMEs and VCSEs. Formal tendering is expected to begin in 2026, with a continued multi-lot delivery model likely.
P+HS Architects has been appointed as lead consultant, alongside AHR Architects and HDR, to design a new £1bn+ Airedale General Hospital in West Yorkshire to replace the RAAC-filled existing building.
They are supported by Curtins and AECOM for engineering, Gleeds as project management, and Archus for healthcare expertise.
The project is part of the government’s Wave 1 New Hospital Programme under a £20bn investment, with construction expected to start in 2027-28.
The National History Museum has appointed Mace as the main contractor for a £201m government-funded Collections, Research and Digitisation Centre at Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, near Reading.
Mace will lead the procurement and construction, supported by CPC Project Services on project management and Arcadis on cost management. Architectural design on the project is led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, with engineering input from Ramboll. The design team has been novated to Mace.
Construction is expected to start imminently, finish in 2027, and become fully operational by 2031.
Laing O’Rourke has been awarded a £920m main works contract to design and build a major new animal health “super-lab” at the Weybridge biosecurity campus in Surrey. The project is the first major phase of the government’s £2.8bn Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) programme.
Design work is already underway, with most construction expected to ramp up between 2027 and 2032.
Mace will act as programme delivery partner overseeing masterplanning, commercial strategy and delivery logistics, while Arup has been advising across the development phases.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged over £15.6bn in investment over five years to support local transport infrastructure in the North, Midlands, and South West, doubling regional capital spending by 2029-30.
The funding will support metro, tram, bus and rail upgrades in cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Birmingham. It forms part of a wider £113bn infrastructure plan, which includes the continuation of HS2 between London and Birmingham.
Greater Manchester has secured £2.5bn in government funding to develop the UK’s first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by 2030.
The Bee Network plans include 1,000 electric buses, all-electric trams, e-bike hire, and expanded tram and rail links across the region.
Key projects include a Metrolink extension to Stockport and new tram stops in towns like Oldham and Bury. The investment aims to support greener travel, capped fares, and regional regeneration.
Tees Valley Combined Authority has secured a £978m funding package from the second round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2).
The funding will fast-track dozens of transport projects across Teeside, Darlington, Hartlepool, and Stockton, including a new Teesside Park station, a third platform at Middlesborough Station, an autonomous tram network, and an upgraded Tees Crossing.
The package also includes improvements to nine bus corridors, the Darlington Northern Link Road, Teesside Airport Station, and key freight and highway upgrades.
The Department for Transport has reappointed Mott MacDonald as its Future and Foresight Support Advisor. The appointment falls under the DfT’s STARThree Framework with Mott MacDonald continuing in its advisory role through to May 2027.
They will be supported by a consortium of expert partners including City Science, Connected Economics, Reed Mobility, the School of International Futures, SYSTRA, and the University of the West of England.
Has your company been awarded one of these contracts? Email jn@newsomconsulting.co.uk if you'd like to discuss how we can support you with the right talent.
