Despite the full impact of the pandemic during the 2020/21 period, Network Rail managed to raise spending by 7% over the previous year as contractors took advantage of restricted travel on the network.

Major power supplier EDF continued to rank as the biggest supplier followed by signalling and train control specialist Siemens Mobility in second place.

For the first time BAM Nuttall officially ranked top among the mainstream contractors after being paid £247m last year.

But Colas could rightly claim to now be the contracting industry’s major supplier, if its Colas Rail and Rail Systems Alliance operations, listed separately by Network Rail, are combined at a total spend of £272m.

The big newcomer to the key supplier list in 2020 was Dyer & Butler with Volker Rail and Skanska outside the top suppliers this year.

Costain, which topped Network Rail’s supplier spend four years ago on the strength of major stations work, also did not make the top 20 spending list for a second year.