HS2 seeks catenary system suppliers

HS2 Ltd has begun its search for overhead catenary system suppliers for the new railway, in a contract that could be worth up to £300 million.

The winner of the contract will be responsible for additional stages of design as well as manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the systems. It will be a single-stage procurement with the successful bidder delivering two separate contracts for phases 1 and 2a.

A total of 589 single-track kilometres (366 miles) are covered under the contract, which will use the V360 catenary system design under licence from SNCF Resau. This is the first such system in

Europe to be certified for speeds of up to 360kph.

The licence agreement allows the contractor to seek components from the most competitive suppliers, which HS2 says will provide opportunities for companies in the UK.

HS2 Procurement and Commercial Director David Poole said: “Our rail systems will allow HS2 to run fast, frequent, highcapacity services - offering lowcarbon travel options for millions of people across Britain.

“The overhead catenary is a vital part of the project and the successful bidder will play a crucial role in keeping the HS2 network running safely and reliably.”