Balfour Beatty, Skanska and a joint venture between Costain and Laing O’Rourke will work with Network Rail to provide firm timescales and budgets for three key projects within the overall programme, and undertake a range of initial works necessary to deliver the planned major upgrades at Farringdon and Blackfriars Stations and to provide new track capacity at Borough by early 2012.

Balfour Beatty will completely rebuild Blackfriars Station to accommodate 12-car trains with the new station spanning the River Thames and providing an entrance on the South Bank for the first time.

The £15m Stage One contract provides for the setting of firm target costs and timelines for the completion of the major works required in building the new station.

This contract also covers a wide range of advance works at and around the existing National Rail and Underground stations and on the railway bridge across the River Thames to prepare for the start of the project proper in 2009.

Skanska Construction won a £1.7m contract for a range of minor works to enhance facilities at Borough Market and will also provide a new temporary market hall alongside the existing wholesale market to house the stalls that will need to be relocated during the construction phase from 2009.

Farringdon Station, owned and operated by London Underground, will require extended National Rail platforms, new station entrances and expanded concourse space to accommodate 12 car trains on Thameslink route services from 2012.

Costain, in a joint venture with Laing O’Rourke, won a £10.3m contract including extensive preparatory works for the major work to redevelop the station from 2009 including replacement of the existing interchange bridge, construction of part of a new station entrance & concourse on Turnmill Street and other minor works on emergency access / escape routes and cable diversions.