The £3 billion contract for laying the entire track for HS2 has been awarded to the Ferrovial Bam JV, which will also handle the signalling and communications aspects. This marks the beginning of a new stage for the project, involving the transformation of 140 miles of tunnels, bridges, and earthworks into a twin-track railway. More than 1,200 miles of optical fibre cabling will be installed to provide the railway’s signalling and communications system.