HS2

HS2 has announced the bidders shortlisted for its £3bn London stations contracts.

Arup and WSP have been named as the two firms that will design HS2’s four phase one station projects.

The decision to award Carillion’s HS2 JV two of its civils contracts sent the wrong signals to the supply chain over its financial future, according to a number of subcontractors.

HS2 has invited construction firms to bid on £1.9bn’s-worth of work for two sections of the £55.7bn high-speed line.

Kier has taken on approximately 200 Carillion staff on HS2 and Highways England joint ventures.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has claimed it would have been “illegal” to prevent Carillion’s HS2 joint venture from winning work, despite the financial issues at the failed contractor.

Carillion’s HS2 partners have contingency plans in place following the contractor’s collapse, the boss of Kier has revealed.

Highways England commercial boss David Poole has joined HS2 as its new procurement and supply director.

HS2 has moved to avoid another conflict-of-interest scandal by replacing CH2M staff in “key decision-making roles” on contracts held by Jacobs, following the merger between the two firms.

MPs have branded unauthorised redundancy payments made by HS2 as a “shocking waste of taxpayers’ money”.