Network Rail has announced that it will be completing maintenance and renewal work on the West Coast Mainline over 10 weekends between April and June in 2020. Engineers will refurbish or renew more than 17 kilometres of the track at 20 locations along the line, between Carstairs and the Scottish
A modern electrification scheme to electrify the train line between Bristol and Cardiff has been completed. This project saw the electrification of 77 kilometres of the Great Western Railway (GWR) line, which forms part of Network Rail’s overall Greater West Electrification Programme to electrify 275 kilometres of train line between
Work has begun on the railway between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster courtesy of a £500,000 investment. This project will see a steep railway embankment reinforced at Holmrock on the Furness Line to the south of the Kent Viaduct. This will increase reliable journeys in the area and forms part of the
Key work on the M6 J13-15 smart motorway project has brought the scheme a step closer to completion. Kier Highways successfully installed three large cantilever gantries over a nine-night period while the motorway network remained open to customers. Three gantries weighing 24 tonnes and 18m in width now span the
The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has announced a new partnership with exhibition organisers Mack Brooks for their upcoming rail trade show Infrarail, taking place for the first time at Olympia London from 12 to 14 May 2020. The partnership will see RIA
A 360-tonne bridge has been lifted into place as part of construction of a new port for the South East, Tilbury2. The steel bridge was towed 135 nautical miles from Rotterdam to the Tilbury2 site – a process which took 24 hours – before it was lifted into place. The
Stephen George + Partners (SGP), one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, is celebrating the start on site of its first airside project to be under construction. A ground breaking ceremony marked the official construction start of the £7million 54,000 sq ft maintenance hangar and 15,500 sqft workshop facility at
DP World London Gateway has secured multiple recognition from The Planet Mark for reducing its carbon footprint at its Thames-based trade-enabling hub. The integrated logistics hub secured two awards at The Planet Mark’s national awards last month, winning the Supply Chain Engagement and Carbon Reduction categories. The Planet Mark’s report,
Stanton Bonna worked with Kier to develop an offsite linear drainage system on M6 J13 to J15, Stafford with Aqua-SlotTM Drain. Key Benefits: · Rapid Installation · Reduced waste · Minimal people interface · Not weather dependent Through the early stages of the Highways England M6 J13-15 scheme, Kier Highways engineering and efficiencies teams
A new dual carriageway on the A14 is set to open this December, a full year ahead of schedule. The 12-mile bypass which is part of a wider 21-mile, £1.5 billion scheme in Cambridgeshire and the largest upgrade of its kind in the UK, will save drivers up to 20
Network Rail has announced that it will be completing maintenance and renewal work on the West Coast Mainline over 10 weekends between April and June in 2020. Engineers will refurbish or renew more than 17 kilometres of the track at 20 locations along the line, between Carstairs and the Scottish border. A bridge near Beattock will also be replaced. Due to the amount of engineering work taking place, this will mean the short term closure of the railway. Buses will replace trains between Carlisle and both Glasgow and Edinburgh on weekends between Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, June 7. On most weekends, the closures will affect trains from mid-morning on Saturdays until the start of service on the following Monday. Over Easter and some weekends in May the closures will extend for longer, with buses replacing trains on Monday, April 13 and Mondays May 4 and 25.
A modern electrification scheme to electrify the train line between Bristol and Cardiff has been completed. This project saw the electrification of 77 kilometres of the Great Western Railway (GWR) line, which forms part of Network Rail’s overall Greater West Electrification Programme to electrify 275 kilometres of train line between Cardiff and London. Contractor Balfour Beatty completed the Bristol-Cardiff works, deploying over 750 operatives to undertake complex works over the festive period. This included the final installation of the overhead cables at Cardiff Central Station, marking the completion of over 4,200 masts and booms, responsible for holding the 643 kilometres of electric cabling associated with the 77 kilometres section of route. Following completion, the first electrified train set off from Cardiff Central Station on Monday 06 January. Mick Rayner, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Rail business, said: “We are proud to have successfully delivered part of the largest modernization project on the Great Western Railway which we been working on for the past three years. Delivering this important upgrade to the Welsh rail network will provide a more sustainable way of travelling for tens of thousands of commuters.” Mark Langman, Network Rail’s Managing Director for Wales and Western added: “I am delighted that services can now run on electricity between Bristol and Cardiff, linking the two capital cities for the very first time via an electric railway. This is the culmination of the largest modernisation project on the Great Western railway since it was built in Victorian times, which we have been working on over the last 10 years.”
Work has begun on the railway between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster courtesy of a £500,000 investment. This project will see a steep railway embankment reinforced at Holmrock on the Furness Line to the south of the Kent Viaduct. This will increase reliable journeys in the area and forms part of the Great North Rail Project. It will include the strengthening of a slope and a new piled retaining wall to protect the track from future movement. Tony Butler, route asset manager for earthworks at Network Rail, said: “This vital upgrade as part of the Great North Rail Project will keep important Northern passenger services running safe and reliably on this section of the Furness line. “The first phase involves making the embankment shallower and the second involves keeping the track in place. The work has been designed to put passengers first as it will be carried out without closing the railway.” Phase one of the work to stabilise the embankment will last until the end of the month. Phase two begins on 02 February and will last until March, with work taking place overnight at weekends while trains aren’t running.
Key work on the M6 J13-15 smart motorway project has brought the scheme a step closer to completion. Kier Highways successfully installed three large cantilever gantries over a nine-night period while the motorway network remained open to customers. Three gantries weighing 24 tonnes and 18m in width now span the carriageway on the M6 between J14 (Stafford) and J15 (Stoke) and were installed with a contraflow in operation. This meant that one lane of traffic was able to stay on the main motorway carriage travelling north on the southbound side. Traffic on the southbound side ran in three narrow lanes. Customers were able to continue travelling on their preferred route instead of being diverted along sensitive diversion routes around Stafford. A team of 57 people worked each of the nine nights to install the gantries along with six smaller MS4 gantries and 28 lighting columns. This project is the first of its kind to operate under a full contraflow for the length of the works and its implementation is continuously increasing customer satisfaction through the roadworks. As work progresses to the opposite carriageway, the contraflow operation will switch in the New Year. Richard French, project director at Kier Highways, said: “We are coming to the end of a section of work on the northbound M6 and this critical activity makes the end date significantly closer. All teams have planned their activities meticulously and collaboratively, so that the result is completion to plan and on programme. There is a large amount of personnel involved and I would like to thank everyone for their solid performance during this complex activity.” The M6 J13-15 smart motorway project is scheduled for completion by 2022.
The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has announced a new partnership with exhibition organisers Mack Brooks for their upcoming rail trade show Infrarail, taking place for the first time at Olympia London from 12 to 14 May 2020. The partnership will see RIA organise at the show: The RIA Hub: An allocated space for RIA members that provides promotional benefits to the companies that exhibit there; The RIA Business Forum: A unique platform where visitors can hear from and engage with key industry figures, including clients, Tier 1 suppliers and more, about the latest projects, business opportunities and developments in rail; The RIA Pavilion: A new area with corner stands where smaller companies and individuals who did not attend Infrarail in 2018 can exhibit. Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “It’s great to be partnering with Mack Brooks for Infrarail 2020. Infrarail is one of the leading trade shows for rail infrastructure providers and a great opportunity for professionals to meet and network.” “We’re delighted that the Railway Industry Association will be providing a number of activities across the three days, including organising presentations in the RIA Business Forum and offering a specific area for RIA member stands, with additional promotional benefits of being part of the RIA Hub. And, for the first time ever, we’re offering a new RIA Pavilion where smaller companies and individuals that are new to Infrarail can exhibit at corner stands, thereby offering a cost-effective way for these organisations to promote themselves and to see the value Infrarail provides.” “We look forward to seeing the industry come together in May for Infrarail 2020!” Nicola Hamann, Managing Director at Mack Brooks Exhibitions, said: “We are very pleased that RIA is continuing its long-term partnership with Infrarail. Their presence enhances the show considerably, providing excellent networking opportunities for professionals at the event.”
A 360-tonne bridge has been lifted into place as part of construction of a new port for the South East, Tilbury2. The steel bridge was towed 135 nautical miles from Rotterdam to the Tilbury2 site – a process which took 24 hours – before it was lifted into place. The approach bridge is the first of three components to be installed over the next few months to create a Roll On – Roll Off facility into the new terminal currently under construction by GRAHAM. Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury, said: “This is another important milestone in the creation of our new port Tilbury2. “GRAHAM’s team successfully completed the link span fixed bridge installation and we look forward to seeing the bridge opened early next year.” The steel bridge, measuring 54m x 15m x 5m was chosen for its strength and durability in the marine environment. It was transported by the HAPO pontoon H-332 and supporting tug. The Port of London (PLA) pilots were on board when entering the Thames Estuary and remained with GRAHAM throughout the lifting operations. Following closely behind in convoy was the MATADOR 3 seagoing floating sheerleg crane with a lifting capacity of 1,800 tonnes, again with a supporting tug. Paul Scott, Contracts Director for GRAHAM, said: “We have hit another milestone on this major project with the arrival and installation of the approach bridge. “It was a real team effort from the loading out at Ravestein’s BV yard through to the installation. “The approach bridge is positioned from abutments on both the landside of the flood defence and on the foreshore.” The Tilbury2 project consists of the construction of a new port terminal and associated facilities on land at the former Tilbury Power Station on the north bank of the River Thames at Tilbury. When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port, the country’s biggest construction processing hub and will see the creation of a new significantly larger rail head which can accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m. The project is central to the Port of Tilbury’s £1 billion investment programme during 2012-20, which has seen it double the size of its business in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume of cargo across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and increase direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10-15 years.
Stephen George + Partners (SGP), one of the UK’s leading architectural practices, is celebrating the start on site of its first airside project to be under construction. A ground breaking ceremony marked the official construction start of the £7million 54,000 sq ft maintenance hangar and 15,500 sqft workshop facility at Norwich International Airport for Rigby Group plc, owners of Regional City Airports. The new hangar facility, which is designed to service two Boeing 737 aircraft, will accommodate the expansion of KLM UK engineering group, providing additional capacity to offer aircraft maintenance and repair services to customers worldwide. Ian Yallop, Chairman of SGP: “We have been able to apply our extensive experience of large and small-scale industrial units to the project at Norwich Airport, to create a facility that meets KLM UK’s engineering needs as well as reinforcing Norwich Airport’s position as a leader in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.” “The design of this type of project is very technical and requires a detailed knowledge of airport operations. CAA requirements are focused on safeguarding flights and we had to think in a new way – working from the sky downwards and taking into account a range of variables including radar requirements, wind shear and navigation systems. The workshop is 7.5m to its haunch and the hangar 13.0m and will be constructed using a Twin-Therm wall system, with Euroclad cladding, profiled to break up radar bounce back. This is an important milestone for SGP and although we have worked on several masterplans and designs for other regional and national airports, this is the first that has reached construction stage. We are looking forward to expanding this new and fascinating sector.”
DP World London Gateway has secured multiple recognition from The Planet Mark for reducing its carbon footprint at its Thames-based trade-enabling hub. The integrated logistics hub secured two awards at The Planet Mark’s national awards last month, winning the Supply Chain Engagement and Carbon Reduction categories. The Planet Mark’s report, earlier this year, highlighted that DP World London Gateway Port has reduced its carbon emissions by 24.9% per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit container) from 2017 to 2018. Carbon reductions of 18% were also achieved during construction of the latest warehouse to open at its Logistics Park – a multi-temperature facility operated by CEVA Logistics – equating to 2,561 tonnes of carbon dioxide. As a result, both facilities received The Planet Mark accreditation – an internationally recognised and trusted sustainability certification acknowledging commitment to continuous improvement in sustainability. Such consideration to sustainability means that those businesses using DP World London Gateway can be assured that their supply chains are more environmentally friendly. Steve Malkin, CEO of Planet First and co-founder of The Planet Mark, said: “We’ve been working with DP World London Gateway for several years now and it is encouraging that, despite being a rapidly growing business, their carbon emissions are continuing to reduce. I have been continually impressed by their commitment to operating in the most environmentally possible way, and by the innovative ways that they have worked to achieve this. From using hybrid and electric vehicles to ensuring that their operations are planned in such a way that vehicles that do use diesel travel the least possible distance. The business provides a strong example of how to operate a leaner – and therefore cleaner – supply chain.” DP World London Gateway was intentionally designed to offer shippers a highly flexible opportunity to consolidate and sort products for onward distribution at its logistics park just a few hundred yards from the quay side, significantly reducing the number of trucks on the road and lowering carbon emissions. Ernst Schulze, UK Chief Executive Officer, DP World, said: “As a global trade enabler, we know that our operations have a wide-reaching impact on people and on the planet, that extends beyond ensuring that people have the things that they need, when they need them. That is why we’re committed to intentional change and operating a sustainable business to minimise social and environmental impacts, today and in the future. Partnering with Planet Mark™ to reduce carbon emissions across our operations at DP World London Gateway is part of how we achieve this and hold ourselves accountable. I am proud of our latest accreditations and awards with The Planet Mark. It proves we can offer our customers the assurance that by partnering with us their supply chains are more sustainable.” Source: DP World London Gateway
Stanton Bonna worked with Kier to develop an offsite linear drainage system on M6 J13 to J15, Stafford with Aqua-SlotTM Drain. Key Benefits: · Rapid Installation · Reduced waste · Minimal people interface · Not weather dependent Through the early stages of the Highways England M6 J13-15 scheme, Kier Highways engineering and efficiencies teams considered several different options for offsite manufacture, one of the projects developed was the use of a Precast Concrete Aqua-SlotTM Drain. Challenge Early on it became apparent that the largest risk to the use of this innovative product would be the production programme with the scheme needing over 31km, exceeding current manufacturing capacity. This required both Area team, Client and Design team input early in the discussion, allowing a production programme that aligned to the scheme’s needs. Benefits · Traditional slip-forming of slot can be problematic, particularly in a live highway environment where concrete delivery is key to success but is often delayed by weather conditions, network congestion and crucially site logistics. · By using precast, the units can be laid out in advance and laying can commence as soon as a sufficient formation bed is prepared. Laying can continue in most weather conditions. · Rapid installation achieving outputs in excess of 200m per day per three-person gang · Factory made units are high quality to tight tolerances and CE marked · Sump unit and incorporated ironwork means that once the unit is laid there is virtually no other follow up work required · Reduced waste as this method removes the need for any wet casting or cutting out to form outlets · Reduced workforce around the operation minimising People Plant Interface · Ability to change work fronts with minimal impact if blockers are identified or there are unforeseen issues, this provides greater flexibility · No need for saw cuts as the product naturally features joints minimising HAVS issues “In the first weeks of laying, outputs were better than expected and we are very pleased with the product. Any reduction in trades and numbers in what is a very constrained environment has to be seen as a positive,” commented Richard French (Project Director M6 13-15). The Figures · 14km of Aqua-SlotTM in Central Reservation · 17km of Aqua-SlotTM in the verges · 55 linear metres per lorry load · 200m installed per day · 1.4t unit weight, 2.5m long units · Rodding access point every 25m · Bedded on Type 1 and regulating sand layer · Design support from Kier Highways engineering · Socket and spigot with gasket to ensure correct jointing and alignment · EN1433 compliant, D400 & CE Marked
A new dual carriageway on the A14 is set to open this December, a full year ahead of schedule. The 12-mile bypass which is part of a wider 21-mile, £1.5 billion scheme in Cambridgeshire and the largest upgrade of its kind in the UK, will save drivers up to 20 minutes per journey, benefiting people living and working across the entire region. The A14 Integrated Delivery Team, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty, Costain and Skanska, and design consultants Atkins and CH2M, is delivering the project. To mark the early opening announcement, the A14 was visited by the Roads Minister, Baroness Vere. Speaking on the project, Baroness Vere, said: “This Government is committed to delivering an infrastructure revolution and it’s fantastic that a key section of this vital route will be delivered a year ahead of schedule, helping people travelling in the East of England get to their destination quickly and safely. “The A14 upgrade will not only improve the experience for local drivers but will also boost access between the region’s ports and the West Midlands – a key logistics hub. “I look forward to seeing the benefits in action in December and to seeing similar infrastructure schemes developing around the country as we improve links and spread growth opportunities.” On completion, the road will open as an A road, instead of a motorway as originally planned. This will take advantage of wider lanes when joining the neighbouring M11 and A1(M). Julian Lamb, deputy project director for the Integrated Delivery Team, said: “We can put the continued success of the project down to our deep understanding of the scheme and our expertise in delivering complex road projects. This has allowed us to move the project along efficiently and effectively resulting in opening the bypass ahead of schedule and being recognised within the industry as a leader in innovation, productivity and collaboration.” The full project remains on track to open to traffic by the end of 2020.
