Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) were awarded the E&P and Ancillary Civil Engineering works for the joint venture of Volker Fitzpatrick and Morgan Sindall (VFMS), as part of the construction of a new 4.5 km extension to the London Overground route on the Gospel Oak to Barking line for Transport for London, whilst also meeting the requirements for integration onto existing Network Rail infrastructure.
The full project scope provides a new strategic rail connection in East London and included the modification of the existing railway lines from Barking station over a stretch of 3km with a new 1.5km railway viaduct extension from Renwick Road overbridge to a new terminus. This involved constructing an embankment ramp up to the new concrete viaduct supporting a two-track railway extension into the heart of a new residential development at Barking Riverside.
The requirements also included new Overhead Line Electrification (OLE), Signalling, Signalling Power, Domestic Power and Telecoms, providing a new elevated Rail section and station close to the Thames.
In addition to their core Civils and E&P scope of works, GRCL also supplied all materials handling and logistics management for the works, RRV’s as required, site haulage, HV comps and assessors and all necessary SMTH testing staff to support its works and enhance its self-delivery capability.
The Felixstowe Capacity Upgrade Project was a rail infrastructure programme for Network Rail, which involved the double tracking of sections of Permanent Way – over approximately 20 Kilometres between North Ipswich and Felixstowe – to increase capacity for the main freight route from the Port of Felixstowe.
The full project scope of works included upgrading five Level Crossings with new barrier controls and the installation of new Permanent Way, Signalling, Power and Telecoms for a new loop installation in order to facilitate the expansion of the strategically important freight connections.
The Principal Contractor for the works was Volker Fitzpatrick Ltd (VFL), acting on behalf of Network Rail as part of their Anglia Regional Collaboration (ARC) CP5 framework. Global Rail Construction Limited provided a fully managed sub-contract service to VFL, completing the full scope of Ancillary Civil Engineering and E&P works for the project.
Having a multi-disciplinary workforce including design, civil and structural engineering and E&P expertise, along with in-house project management and having previously delivered time-pressurised, highly co-ordinated schemes, allowed Global Rail Construction Limited to provide the necessary solution in order to complete the works to meet the client’s requirements.
Global Rail Construction were selected by Kier as E&P contractor for the installation of the new 650v power supplies and also the 400v power domestic supplies for the Balcombe to Copyhold Signalling Supply upgrade project on Network Rail’s VTB lines.
Having already supported Kier on previous signalling projects, Global Rail Construction were seen as the partner of choice once more, particularly as the works involved substation access, calling upon the experienced in-house Level C staff that the business have.
The project on Network Rail’s Sussex route involved three sites at Balcombe Tunnel, Ouse Valley and Haywards Heath and required a fully managed delivery solution from Global Rail Construction’s in-house E&P division.
The project relied heavily on close co-operation between Kier’s own teams and those of Global Rail Construction and it is this in-house experience in signalling and civil engineering, that provided Kier with the confidence that the E&P team fully understood the interdisciplinary nature of the works.
The programme was fast track with the power build and install having to be completed in 3 months, however, Global Rail Construction’s E&P team – who are just at home delivering standalone projects under their Principal Contractors Licence – were able to call upon their experience in-house project delivery processes to provide a robust cost loaded programme of activities that could be accurately monitored.
