Carillion is rail client’s biggest single contractor, while Atkins leads the consultants’ table

Lafarge freight rail link in Kent

Carillion was Network Rail’s biggest single contractor last year, according to figures published by the railway infrastructure client.

Carillion won £281 worth of contracts from Network Rail over the 2013-14 financial year.

The next biggest contractor was Babcock Rail with whom Network Rail spent £220 over the period, followed by Bam Nuttall, which netted £209.

Balfour Beatty was also a significant contractor, however, its position in the league table was undermined by the fact that it operates as three separate businesses when dealing with Network Rail.

Balfour Beatty Rail did £183 of work for the railway provider, while Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering did £89 and Balfour Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services did £86.

When all these were taken together Balfour Beatty provided a total of £357m of construction work to Network Rail, technically putting it top of the contractors’ table.

Atkins was Network Rail’s largest construction consultancy supplier, winning £142 worth of work from the client.

The full spending league table published by Network Rail also contains non-construction suppliers, including electricity and signalling suppliers.

Network Rail supplier spending league table

Supplier nameSpendDescription of goods, services or product% of total
EDF Energy £341Electricity supply 5%
Carillion Construction Ltd£281Infrastructure contracting 4.1%
Babcock Rail Ltd£220Track infrastructure contracting 3.2%
BAM Nuttall Ltd£209Infrastructure contracting 3%
Costain Ltd£203Infrastructure contracting 3%
Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd£183Track infrastructure contracting 2.7%
Amey-Colas£182Track infrastructure contracting 2.7%
Siemens Rail Automation Ltd£177Signalling infrastructure contracting 2.6%
Amalgamated Construction Ltd£160Infrastructure contracting 2.3%
J Murphy & Sons Ltd£150Infrastructure contracting 2.2%
Atkins Ltd£142Signalling infrastructure contracting, consultancy services2.1%
Signalling Solutions Ltd£139Signalling infrastructure contracting 2%
C Spencer Ltd£116Infrastructure contracting 1.7%
Tata Steel UK Ltd£113Steel manufacturer1.7%
VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd£105Infrastructure contracting 1.6%
DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd£100Rail logistics 1.5%
Morgan Sindall Plc£100Construction services1.5%
Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited£89Infrastructure contracting 1.3%
Balfour Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services Ltd£86Infrastructure contracting 1.3%
Amey OWR Ltd£85Structural inspection services 1.2%