Rail contractors set for £10bn of opportunities from HS2
RAIL contractors in the West Midlands are set to be handed a £10bn pipeline of opportunities courtesy of the HS2 high speed rail project.
Details of the contracts are set to be announced a supply chain conference in Birmingham next month. The event, organised by HS2 Ltd, the company behind the proposed £50bn rail scheme, takes place at the ICC on November 5.
The event has already been hailed by Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jerry Blackett and Centro boss Geoff Inskip as a tremendous opportunity for industry in the region.
Blackett said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for businesses of all sizes in the West Midlands to learn how they can bid for contracts for HS2.
“The first conference is taking place in Birmingham and we want our businesses to take advantage of our place at the heart of the high speed rail network.”
The conference is the first of a series of events which will seek to inform companies on how to compete for and, if successful, win work on the largest infrastructure programme in the UK. Birmingham has been selected as the first city to host the events due to its central place in the HS2 network.
Inskip, chief executive of regional transport authority Centro, said research concluded the West Midlands would benefit more than any other region from building HS2.
“It is essential that our businesses get on board early to understand the opportunities high speed rail presents for our regional economy and win those contracts,” he said.
Beth West, HS2 Ltd, Commercial Director said: “HS2 is a multi-billion pound project to build Britain’s new high speed rail network. The supply chain conference offers businesses the chance to prepare themselves for the opportunities which will be generated by this exciting project.”
HS2 will demand a wide range of skills across a broad range of areas as it progresses through the different phases of the programme; from planning and design to manufacture and construction.
Businesses can register their interest to attend the event at http://www.hs2.org.uk/events/supplychainconference
