Amey has been appointed by Network Rail to provide systemwide integration services for Phase One of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme.

Awarded through Network Rail’s Development and Design Partnership Framework (DDPF), the contract will see Amey act as the system integrator across six major projects within NPR Phase One. The company will provide systems engineering leadership to ensure the individual schemes are developed as a single, integrated network.

Phase One of Northern Powerhouse Rail covers Bradford to Leeds, Leeds Station, Leeds to York and Leeds to Sheffield.

Working alongside Network Rail and subcontractors, Amey will lead the development of a Network Option Selection Report, bringing together key performance metrics including journey times, network performance, maintainability, constructability, sustainability, cost estimates, benefits mapping and land and consents.

The company said its whole-system approach would help ensure the combined value of the individual projects delivers greater benefits for passengers, local communities and the wider rail network.

Colin Wood, managing director at Amey, said: “This appointment reflects Network Rail’s confidence in our ability to deliver complex programmes and develop solutions that create value across the network.

“Major rail programmes succeed when projects are designed and delivered as part of a wider integrated system. Northern Powerhouse Rail has the potential to transform connectivity across the North, and we are proud to be supporting the development of a railway that balances performance, resilience and long-term value for communities.”

The latest award builds on Amey’s growing partnership with Network Rail and follows its recent appointment to the Leeds-to-Sheffield corridor contract for NPR. It is the third major project secured by the company through the DDPF framework and further strengthens its position in the planning, design and delivery of major rail infrastructure programmes.