The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a preliminary market engagement notice for a Engineering and Design Partner (EDP) to support the delivery of the transformative Euston Programme.
Construction of the area around the station in central London remains paused while the government continues to work on a new design for the High Speed 2 (HS2) station and associated private developments, as well as the funding arrangement. The project has become more complex as it also now incorporates upgrades to the existing mainline station and London Underground station. In April it was reported that an outline for the new terminus was “a good way off” and this contract is not concerned with the HS2 element of the site.
The DfT’s notice emphasises that the government’s ambition remains to “create a fully integrated transport gateway of national and local significance at Euston and support the associated commercial property development”.
Set to be delivered by the newly established Euston Delivery Company (EDC), the programme aims to revamp Euston station and its surrounding infrastructure, supporting extensive commercial property development aligned with the wider urban regeneration plans of Camden Council and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The initiative encompasses upgrades to the existing mainline station, enhancements to the London Underground interchange, improvements to local bus and taxi facilities, and the development of a new high-speed station. The latter element of the HS2 station is anticipated to be delivered separately through a private finance partner that will be procured through a separate process.
The EDP role is pivotal, tasked with providing comprehensive engineering and design expertise across all facets of the sprawling Euston campus. According to the notice, the appointed partner will act as the lead designer, coordinating complex multidisciplinary design work encompassing high-speed and conventional rail, underground systems and public realm integration. Expertise in architectural masterplanning and strategic engineering will be essential to translate early designs into feasible, cost-effective, and buildable solutions while working closely with the appointed master-planner, Lendlease.
The role also demands robust programme planning and scheduling capabilities, with a technical programme management office expected to utilise modern artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools to manage scheduling, costing, benchmarking, and forecasting. This forward-looking approach aims to enable granular oversight of project interdependencies and critical paths.
Cost estimation and commercial advisory services form another core element, with the partner expected to support value engineering efforts and align financial planning with the private finance models underpinning the station’s delivery. Additionally, the EDP will provide independent technical challenge and quality assurance, offering critical reviews of design outputs and delivery methodologies to mitigate risks and drive optimisation.
Stakeholder engagement will be extensive, involving collaboration with bodies such as HS2 Ltd, Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL), Camden Council, the GLA and the master development partner. The partner will also be responsible for maintaining a robust Common Data Environment (CDE) to ensure seamless communication, data security, and workflow efficiency across all design and delivery teams.
The contract is expected to span five years from January 2027 to December 2031, with provisions for extension through detailed design and construction phases. The estimated contract value stands at £300M excluding VAT (£360M including VAT), reflecting the scale and complexity of the project.
The market engagement process, set to begin in mid to late November 2025, aims to raise awareness of EDC’s plans, gauge industry interest, and refine the tender specifications. It invites potential bidders to share views on bid structures, specialist capabilities, commercial frameworks, and risk appetite. Notably, participation in this engagement is not mandatory for future tendering, and organisations bear their own costs for involvement.
Following this engagement, the DfT and EDC plan to publish the formal tender notice around May 2026, proceeding with a competitive procurement process to secure the EDP.
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