Underground resignalling to be re-tendered

UK: Resignalling of London Underground's Sub-Surface Lines is to be re-tendered following the exit from administration of Public-Private Partnership contractor Metronet. The contractual changes are subject to a court order that the PPP Administrator will seek to transfer Metronet to a LU nominee company.

Resignalling of SSL had originally been subcontracted by Metronet shareholder Bombardier to Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd, but the project has now been transferred back to Metronet and the contract de-scoped and renegotiated. Bombardier announced on April 1 that it had agreed to pay WRSL £95m in compensation.

Resignalling of the Victoria Line by Westinghouse will not be affected. Work was further advanced than on SSL, with equipment already installed for test running; distance to go signalling was trialled outside traffic hours on February 7.

In the longer term, as Metronet emerges from administration, we will continue to work with LUL and Metronet and utilise our signalling technologies to deliver the increase in safety, performance and capacity of the Tube network that London needs,' said James Drummond, CEO & President of Invensys Rail Group, the parent company of WRSL.

At the request of Metronet, Bombardier's contracts to maintain the trainsets which it is building will be amended so that maintenance remains with Metronet. Bombardier will retain a technical support and spares supply agreement covering the 191 SSL trains and 47 small-profile trains for the Victoria Line. A payment of £28m will be made to the train builder.

Bombardier said the result of the changes will be a £1·3bn reduction in its £3·2bn Metronet order backlog.