HS2 announces shortlist for £269m contract
HS2 has announced the shortlist for a supplier to manage its Automated People Mover (APM) in the West Midlands, with a contract valued at £269m.
Both Doppelmayr Cable Car and Poma S.A.S have been invited to tender for the operation and maintenance of the assets required for the new transit system at the Interchange station in Solihull.
Two contracts will be awarded to a single supplier for the APM system component of the new HS2 APM.
The first contract, valued at £65m in 2024 prices, includes the design, supply, integration, installation, testing, and commissioning of the APM System up to its deployment into service.
The second contract, worth £204m, involves operating the APM system and managing the wider asset for 25 years, including maintenance activities.
HS2 Ltd will later initiate procurement for awarding a contract to a single supplier for the infrastructure aspect of the APM.
The infrastructure contract includes the design, supply, construction, and installation of the civil works, systems, and architecture of the mass transit system, encompassing the construction of a viaduct, maintenance facility building, and APM stops.
Market engagement for the design and build contract for the APM’s infrastructure is scheduled to commence later this year, with the tender release expected in mid-2025.
Andrew Cubitt, HS2’s procurement and supply chain director said: “We’re delighted to announce the shortlisted bidders, which takes us a step closer to delivering this vital connectivity boost to the HS2 network. This clean, green, transport solution will prove invaluable to the millions of people that will use it for onward business and leisure travel, or to access the excellent variety of events and entertainment on offer at the NEC and Resorts World.”
The APM network is an important part of the HS2 project, linking HS2’s Interchange station, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham International Station, and Birmingham Airport.
Given its route over the M42 and West Coast Main Line, the APM will be constructed on a viaduct to minimise impacts on the existing major road and rail network.
The viaduct will be supported by piers ranging in height from 6-14m, with structural columns repeating at spans of 40m. The columns vary in type to accommodate the APM’s single-track, twin-track, and split-track infrastructure.
The APM is designed to handle a minimum of 2,100 people per hour in each direction, with a potential capacity for 3,900 people in the future.
Sean Butler, HS2’s senior project manager for the Automated People Mover said: “We’re progressing towards appointing the APM system and service contractor that will work with HS2 to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure, which provides a huge boost to Solihull MBC, Birmingham Airport and the NEC Group’s growth plans. Reaching this major step in the project plan is a testament to the collaboration and dedication of every one of our partners for whom the APM is so vital.”
