Chief executive also reveals he wants earlier contractor involvement to bring down cost of projects
Network Rail wants contractors to be involved in projects much earlier to bring down cost, the client鈥檚 chief executive Mark Carne has told 黑洞社区.
Carne (pictured) said Network Rail is investigating using more modular and off-site construction on its projects.
The infrastructure manager鈥檚 flagship projects are already starting to use off-site methods, including at Costain鈥檚 拢400m overhaul of London Bridge station, where around 70% of completed work trackside has used modular components.
Carne said: 鈥淸Contractors tell us], `Well hang on a minute, if we鈥檙e constructing this kind of way, in a low-cost, off-site setting, bring it in part-built, we can enable a much lower cost solution for you鈥�. The trick is of course to make sure you bring those partners in early enough for them to be able to influence the way something is designed and built.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to modularise something which is already defined in great detail, so that鈥檚 why working earlier on in the development phase of these projects is so important for us.鈥�
Carne was speaking to 黑洞社区 after a London First event to discuss Network Rail鈥檚 plans to sell-off land for 12,000 homes.
Carne said Network Rail is looking to generate more cash from its property division to help fund railway upgrades. The property division is selling off around 拢1.8bn in assets.
Network Rail has struggled to keep a lid on costs in recent years. Last year it admitted its 鈥淐ontrol Period 5鈥� spending plan from 2014-19 had risen in cost by 拢2.5bn from 拢38.3bn, forcing delays to some programmes.
Carne told the event that in the long term he envisaged an entirely ticketless rail network, underpinned by use of facial recognition technology.
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