London Underground has chosen more than 20 contractors for a £330m upgrade programme covering 70 stations.

Stations will be modernised with upgraded flooring, walls and ceilings, CCTV systems and electrical equipment including energy-efficient lighting as part of the station stabilisation programme over the next seven years.

Stations that will benefit from the work include Charing Cross, Earl’s Court, Embankment, Paddington and South Kensington.

London Underground will use its Stake delivery model, where it engages directly with SMEs for work rather than employing a subcontracting model.

The majority of risk will be taken on by LU, rather than the supply chain, under new, simplified contracts.

The Stake model is among those presented by LU as a means to achieving the levels of efficiency cited in the 2011 Rail Value for Money study by Sir Roy McNulty, which sought up to 30 per cent cost savings on rail delivery.

LU is working with the appointed firms to establish ‘craft academies’ with the aim of helping contractors to carry out work faster and on a larger scale.

Academies will provide skills training as well as frontline leadership for supervisors and construction managers on the skills and practices needed to deliver the programme efficiently.