Focus on collaboration - ABC

“We work collaboratively in the ECI phase. We submitted a number of rates. We have total transparency on our costs.”

ABC’s contract is estimated to be worth £900 million over an initial seven-year term, with an option to extend for a further three years.

Structurally, ABC is an incorporated equal share joint venture. It has been awarded two out of the six areas within the programme - London North Western and the Wales and West region (including the Valley Lines). 

ABC, whose chief executive is Alan Kay, is also providing High Output Plants and Piling Trains, and is looking at doing much of its engineering in house.

“We’ve pulled upon engineering resource, not just in Alstom, but also Babcock,” says Willcock, adding: “The fact that we’re engineering-led differentiates us from others in the market.”

Day-to-day, Willcock says that working with NR is very much an integrated effort: “NR plays a key role, but we rely on each other to deliver. The synergy with NR and ABC is vitally important. NR has to be part of the solution.”

In the Central Region, for example, ABC branded the integral delivery there the Central Power Electrification Team (CPET). And staff in CPET work as one team, viewing themselves as working for CPET alongside Network Rail.

Although corporately individual staff members work for ABC and come from any of Alstom, Babcock or Costain as ‘secondees’, their identity is absolutely to the small teams.

“You still have to administer the contract,” says Willcock.

“The timescales are long-term. A lot of money has been invested in setting ABC up - a five to seven-year timeframe looks set to be extended further. We will invest a lot of money in it while there is a work bank to go at.”

Willcock looks back at the business plan from two years ago, and concludes: “We are not too far off what we thought we’d be.”

• This feature was published in RAIL 775 on May 27 2015