Costain Wins £700m TfL Multi-Discipline Framework in London

LONDON – Costain has been named one of three suppliers on a new Transport for London (TfL) multi-discipline framework covering both design and construction. The framework carries a total value of around £700 million, with projects awarded over a two-year term and an option for a two-year extension. It will deliver major infrastructure upgrades including works at South Kensington tube station and enable TfL’s step-free access programme.

What Does This Contract Cover?

The framework provides design, engineering, programme delivery, and supply chain management services for a range of complex transport infrastructure upgrades across London. Costain’s role draws on its cross-sector experience and will apply production thinking—combining modern methods of construction with new technologies—as previously demonstrated on the A40 Westway refurbishment. The scope includes station upgrades, accessibility improvements, and other capital works under TfL’s infrastructure programme. While the framework’s total cap is £700 million, the value of individual call-off contracts to be awarded to Costain has not been disclosed.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

TfL’s £700 million framework is materially larger than the East West Rail programme’s consultancy framework, which seeks a strategic delivery partner under a contract worth up to £300 million—with actual work orders expected to total between £150 million and £200 million (Source: Safer Highways / East West Rail, 2025). The East West Rail framework focuses on technical, operational, environmental, and design coordination services, whereas the TfL framework encompasses both design and physical construction delivery. Another comparable infrastructure programme, the Ministry of Defence’s vehicle inspection facility upgrades, represents a £35 million investment within a wider £110 million programme (Source: Construction News, 2025). These figures sit within a UK net zero construction pipeline now valued at £455 billion, underscoring the sustained demand for major infrastructure works (Source: IndexBox, 2025). Costain’s precise share of the £700 million framework ceiling and the identities of the other two suppliers were not publicly disclosed at time of publication.

Editor’s Analysis

TfL’s decision to bundle design and construction within a single multi-discipline framework reflects a broader shift towards streamlined procurement models that can accelerate delivery timelines and integrate production thinking. Costain’s reappointment deepens a relationship that has already produced the A40 Westway refurbishment, and the framework structure positions the contractor to capture a pipeline of station modernisation and accessibility projects at a time when London’s post-pandemic travel patterns require flexible investment. The parallel emergence of large consultancy and delivery frameworks—from East West Rail to the MoD’s facility upgrades—shows that UK public sector clients are prioritising agile, long-term supplier partnerships, a trend that aligns with the £455 billion net zero construction pipeline’s demand for repeatable, efficient project delivery (Source: IndexBox, 2025).

FAQ

Q: Which specific projects will Costain work on under this framework?
A: The framework includes upgrade work at South Kensington tube station and works to enable TfL’s step-free access programme. Additional projects will be awarded through the framework’s two-year term, but a detailed project schedule has not been published.

Q: How long does the contract run and can it be extended?
A: The framework has an initial two-year term, with an option for a two-year extension, allowing a possible total duration of four years.

Q: What is the total number of suppliers on the framework and who are they?
A: Three suppliers were selected in total. Costain is one of them; the names of the other two suppliers have not been officially confirmed by TfL at this stage.