Costain, together with partner GHD, selected as key suppliers on DfT’s advisory framework. Credit: Malshak/ Shutterstock.

British infrastructure company Costain has been selected by the Department for Transport (DfT) as one of the key suppliers of the department’s Specialist Technical and Commercial Advice for Rail (STAR) Framework.

This framework, worth up to £600m ($759.3m) in total, will be in place for two years with an option to extend for another two years.

Costain is set to partner with GHD, which will provide technical advisory and professional services, with the aim of delivering infrastructure projects across rail and aviation.

Costain managing director of transportation Sue Kershaw said the work would be part of a plan to “future-proof” the UK transport network.

Kershaw said: “Transforming and future-proofing our transport networks will be critical to ensuring growth and prosperity across the UK, as well as meeting net zero ambitions. We look forward to continuing to work with the DfT to help solve some of the UK’s most pressing infrastructure challenges.”

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Costain and GHD will assist the DfT in addressing the UK’s largest transportation concerns, including decarbonisation, reliability and safety, ageing infrastructure and economic instability.

“The framework will also allow us to collaborate with key industry partners, like GHD, to harness skills, innovation and knowledge to drive a more productive and sustainable infrastructure network,” added Kershaw.

The partnership follows the DfT’s previous framework, STAR two and continues to extend the previous relationship between the DfT, Costain and GHD.

Costain committed 38% of the spending to small and medium-sized businesses last year and has stated they will build on this track record to meet DfT’s target of 40% SME spend on this framework.

Jonathan Edwards, GHD’s market development leader EMEA, added how this partnership focuses on the bigger transport and logistics issues.

Edwards said: “GHD is committed to addressing the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and communities. Within transport, we are focused on being the leading advisors and technical authorities in the movement of people and goods and on projects that improve connectivity.