Appointment of a contractor for the two stage design and delivery of earthworks for the Global Centre for Rail Excellence

GCRE Limited is looking to procure suitably qualified earthworks contractor with experience of designing and carrying out large scale earthworks projects to facilitate the subsequent design and construction of the Global Centre for Rail Excellence (GCRE). GCRE is to be constructed at the site of the former Nant Helen opencast coal mine site along with ancillary earthworks at the Onllwyn Washery. The completed centre will have two rail testing loops, rail sidings, buildings and other infrastructure.

The earthworks which are subject to this procurement provide the foundation for that later infrastructure and are likely to comprise approximately 3 Million m³ of earth movement including (but not limited to) vegetation stripping, soil stripping, overburden excavation and placement to a design specification, associated selection of materials, overburden removal and placement in landscape balancing areas, soil spreading and final rehabilitation of landscaped profiles. The successful contractor is also required to provide temporary drainage during the construction phase together with the installation of permanent drainage during and on completion of construction on a two stage basis:

1 - to develop the design of the earthworks so as to enable the contractor to provide a priced proposal for the contractor to complete the design and carry out the construction of the earthworks at Stage 2 to meet GCRE Limited's requirements (Stage 2 Proposal). During Stage 1, the contractor may also be instructed to design and carry out preliminary site activities such as vegetation stripping works.

2 - following acceptance by GCRE Limited of the successful contractor's Stage 2 Proposal, the successful contractor will proceed to finalise the design of, and carry out, the construction of the earthworks in accordance with the Stage 2 Proposal.