Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2018-05-08
Buyer: Group Commercial Directorate, Department for Transport
Country: UK
Contract type: Works
CPV classification: 45000000: Construction work | 45100000: Site preparation work | 45110000 | 45111000 | 45111100

Technical requirements: This PIN relates to a proposed series of market sounding sessions and further on-going engagement, which will be held by the Department for Transport (DfT) with relevant interested parties, relating to the development of a proposed public private partnership option (reflecting PF2 guidance) (PPP option) in relation to Package A (see Section II.2.4 for a description of what Package A comprises) of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow (WRLtH). The delivery of the package may include financing, construction and maintenance of Rail Links to Heathrow.
The Western Rail Link to Heathrow project is a proposed new rail link between the Great Western Main Line (GWML) in the Langley area and Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. DfT wishes to explore through market sounding, the market appetite for investment/participation in the WRLtH through a PPP option.
The estimated total value for the anticipated project is an indicative range of 700 000 000,00 GBP to 900 000 000,00 GBP [construction only].
In this proposed market sounding, DfT wishes to explore the market appetite for investment/participation in the Western Rail Link to Heathrow (WRLtH), specifically Package A (see below), and to test a series of assumptions in order to support the overall project development process.
The WRLtH project is a proposed new rail link between the Great Western Main Line (GWML) in the Langley area and Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 (T5). It is comprised of 2 parts:
Package A: An approximately 5 km rail link, with rail systems fit out, which comprises a new twin-bored tunnel and cut-and-cover element, to connect into existing tunnels at T5. For Package A, private sector involvement in financing, delivery and maintenance is being considered by DfT to determine if it is a viable option that can be delivered within the proposed timescales and deliver value for money.
Package B: Works to connect the new tunnel to the GWML at a new Langley Junction, including grade separation to connect the tunnel to the GWML via a Rail Intersection Bridge. Package B is assumed to be conventionally funded and delivered by Network Rail, due to the complexities of the interface and the constraints in connecting to the operational GWML railway at Langley.
WRLtH continues to be developed by Network Rail and is a committed scheme within the “Develop” stage of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. An indicative timetable would see construction commence during Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (the funding period 2019 to 2024) and to be complete by 2027.
2 of the key stakeholders in the project include DfT and Network Rail. DfT works with agencies and parties to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. Network Rail owns, operates and develops Britain’s railway — track, bridges, tunnels and viaducts, signals, level crossings and stations. Network Rail’s role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway every day for the four and half million people and businesses that rely upon it. Network Rail is a public company, answerable to Government via the DfT, that runs the day-to-day railway through nine devolved, geographically based businesses, called routes.
DfT will be carrying out a programme of market sounding with interested parties in respect of a range of categories of works and services relating to the project, which it is assumed to include:
Please register your interest with your contact details, a brief outline of key information in relation to your company and areas of particular interest or specialisms to heathrowrailwestern@dft.gov.uk
We will then be able to better tailor our consultation and market sounding plans, and send invitations targeted to specific events to suit the most appropriate specialisms. In particular we would draw attention to proposed engagement sessions in June and July 2018 which will allow DfT to test various assumptions concerning a proposed PPP option for the delivery of the WRLtH.
For Package A the estimated date of publication of a contract notice in Section II.3) would be July 2019, subject to a decision by DfT whether to proceed with this approach.
This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is not a call for competition and is not published to reduce time limits for the receipt of tenders.
The specific procurements for both of these packages will be launched in due course by the publication of further PIN's and/or contract notices by the appropriate procuring authority.