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Global Rail Construction Ltd Secures Feltham Resignalling Works

UK Rail contractor, Global Rail Construction Ltd, is delighted to have secured the Principal Contractor (PC) role for the design and construction of the advanced civil engineering works on Phase 1 of the Feltham resignalling project – having submitted a most detailed and comprehensive offer to do so.

As PC, Global Rail Construction (GRCL) will deliver the full GRIP 5-8 design and construct contract directly for Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (Network Rail). The scope of work covers civil and structural engineering works on Network Rail’s Wessex Route and specifically covers: Area 1a – Shepperton Branch; Area 1b – Norbiton Sub Station to Fulwell Jct and Area 2 – Barnes to Whitton Jct, Hounslow Sub Station.

A thrilled Marco Lombardelli, Managing Director of GRCL, was quick to praise his team:

“This is a fantastic achievement and a true reflection of the hard work, effort and professionalism of all who contributed to this success. It is great to be part of such an exciting opportunity for our business, especially having worked so incredibly hard during the last couple of years to achieve and maintain full PCL status.”

The Feltham resignalling project forms part of the signalling renewals/National Operating Strategy (NOS) scheme, which is intending to renew the life-expired signalling infrastructure in Feltham and Wokingham areas to the modern equivalent form. The total scheme covers the renewal of 538 Signalling Equivalent Units (SEUs). The full geographical workscope, which covers over 80 miles of railway lines also included, for the first time, the introduction of Atkins’ brand-new signalling system – Elix.

Commercial Director Jim Cuell also added:

“This PC contract award comes off the back of our previous sub-contract work on the Feltham resignalling scheme, whereby civil and structural engineering works were undertaken along the Shepperton branch and successfully completed at the end of 2016.

“This is therefore a fantastic opportunity for GRCL to directly deliver a high-profile PC package of work to Network Rail, and we look forward to the successful delivery of this project in due course.”

Global Rail Construction Ltd is part of the Global Infrastructure Group and is a leading UK provider of design and build services to clients in the rail and transportation sector. The company is a principal contractor for UK mainline and metro railways across a number of disciplines, which include signalling, mechanical, electrical and power (MEP), telecoms, civil and structural engineering, maintenance, renewal, providing a fully tested and commissioned service, on both Network Rail and Transport For London controlled infrastructure. You can read more about what we do by clicking here.

Global Rail Construction wins GAGA award

Global Rail Construction Ltd has been awarded the Sustainability Award at the Galvanisers Association’s GAGA Awards 2017 for its work to design, supply and install of several large galvanised steel signal structures for Network Rail at Crossrail.

The company was commended for its efforts to achieve significant cost and programme efficiencies while including new strategies for sustainability at the end of the installation’s life.

GRCL’s engineering team offered a thoroughly sustainable approach to the project lifecycle, allowing them to consider all aspects of material construction and deconstruction. They proposed the use of hot dip galvanised gantry and cantilever structures with galvanised steel support grillages, which allows the equipment to be easily reused or recycled when removed at the end of its useful life.

The decision to move away from traditional methods was a key success of this project. Current end of life scenarios for steel and concrete show that 93% of steel is recycled and 6% is reused – a growing natural resource as opposed to concrete which is 20% recycled and 75% downcycled.

David Vine, Principal Design Manager of GRCL said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our efforts to provide innovative solutions for the galvanising industry with this important award.

“We look forward to being able to deliver further ground-breaking and sustainable projects for all of our rail clients in the future.”

To read more about the rail infrastructure projects Global Rail Construction undertakes, please click here.

Visit Global Rail Construction at Rail Live today!

Global Rail Construction is currently exhibiting at Rail Live, one of the largest rail exhibitions in Europe.

Rail Live has been recognised as the ‘highlight rail event of the year’, and hosts hundreds of exhibitors from across the industry. It is taking place at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre in Warwickshire, and is a fantastic opportunity for customers and suppliers to meet face-to-face, sharing best practice solutions, demonstrating new products and networking with high-profile industry leaders.

Global Rail Construction is exhibiting alongside foundation solutions business Van-Elle, and we will be showcasing our in-depth knowledge of UK rail systems, while meeting and greeting our industry peers. The event will allow us to present our expertise in turnkey design and construction projects, and help us in exploring new opportunities.

Marco Lombardelli, Managing Director for Global Rail Construction, said: “Rail Live is one of the premier events in the rail calendar and a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our capabilities in the industry. We’re delighted to be exhibiting alongside our friends at Van-Elle, who we are sharing a stand with at Location L28/L26B. If you’re at Rail Live today come and say hello!”

Rail Live is taking place today between 10am and 4pm.

Global Rail Australia Secures Flinders Street Station Upgrade Project

Global Rail Australia has won a significant project at Flinders Street Station (FSS), on behalf of Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM). Flinders Street Station is Victoria’s busiest railway station and used by approximately 200,000 passengers on an average weekday.

The Victorian State Government has committed to invest $100M to repair and refurbish Flinders Street Station, with these works forming part of their commitment to deliver works, which provide improved customer experience benefits.

Global Rail Australia has been awarded a package which includes the construction of a new station entrance and also the refurbishment and upgrade of the public toilet amenities.

The new entrance will be located adjacent to the Yarra River and will include a new canopy adjacent to Platform 10. This new entrance will improve access and reduce congestion by creating a direct and more accessible entry to the station and platforms, which will allow for faster passage through ticket gates. The works include the construction of all substructure works, erection of the structural steel frame, installation of all roofing and cladding, construction of DDA compliant access ramps, installation of ticket validation turnstiles, installation and commissioning of all services.

Global Rail Australia will also be refurbishing the public toilet amenities at Flinders Street Station. These works will include the refurbishment of the Male and Female toilets located in the Elizabeth Street Subway, including the provision of new DDA compliant facilities. The company will also be refurbishing the subway access stairwell, to provide a new access point to station platforms.

The works include all structural alterations, floors, wall and ceiling finishes. The works also include the installation of all building, mechanical and electrical services. Elements of the building fabric are heritage listed and as such Global Rail are required to re-paint, re-tile and renew these fixtures and fittings in accordance with Heritage Victoria requirements.
Global Rail Australia’s Operations Manager Colm Shevlin was delighted with this contract award:

“We are delighted to be involved in this prestigious railway project on such an iconic building which is also one of the main transport hubs in Victoria. With offices in Melbourne and now in Sydney, Global Rail are well placed to play our part in the regeneration of Australia’s railway infrastructure.”

Global Rail Australia is part of the Global Infrastructure Group and is a leading Australian provider of design, construct and commission services for clients across a wide range of engineering and infrastructure industries. The company was selected as the preferred contractor on this project for its rail capabilities, previous successful work for MTM and its supply chain partnerships.

Global Rail Construction Goes GAGA

The Galvanising Association has been providing an authoritative guidance and information service on hot dip galvanising since 1949 and has specifically recognised and commended its use since 1994, via its annual awards ceremony the “GAGAs”.

Global Rail Construction Ltd (GRCL) is delighted to have been shortlisted for a construction award in respect of the installation of their large hot dip galvanised (HDG) steel signal structures and foundations for Network Rail at Crossrail.

An in-house design and build team has enabled GRCL to construct many galvanised signal support structures for the UK Rail Infrastructure over the years.

Engineering and Sustainability

GRCL’s contract specifically covered the design, supply and installation of several large HDG steel signal structures including a five-track gantry signal and a large HDG steel two-track cantilever structure, plus several smaller HDG steel lightweight gantry and cantilever structures.

The use of HDG delivers many advantages over more traditional methods and also allows HDG at the end of the installation life, to be easily removed and either reused or recycled.

GRCL’s engineering team offered a thoroughly sustainable approach to the project lifecycle, allowing them to consider all aspects of material construction and deconstruction. This approach helped to ensure that all the constituent parts of the project were either easily recovered for reuse or recycling.

Installation

Directly employed GRCL staff installed all HDG foundations and structures. The lightweight “no access” cantilever and gantry structures were installed during midweek night shifts and isolations using RRV cranes.

The large two-track access cantilever at Maidenhead was installed over several weekend possessions, which was complicated by the early running of the new Overhead Line Wires (OLE) in the area. Careful planning of the lifts enabled the structure to be installed between the wires, which allowed all works to be completed and handed over on time and to budget.

Hot Dip Galvanizing has protected steel across UK and Ireland for more than 150 years. It bonds itself metallurgically to steel imparting toughness and abrasion resistance through its alloy layers. Its unique characteristics help provide a long maintenance free life for steel.

You can read more about Global Rail Construction’s capabilities here:
www.theglobalinfrastructuregroup.com/global-rail-construction/

Audit Success for Global Rail Construction

It has been a busy time for Global Rail Construction’s Quality and Compliance Team, having had consecutive months of external accreditation audits.

May saw the business pass its annual RISQS audit with the highest rating of 5 stars last month. RISQS is the railway industry supplier qualification scheme, and is the preferred route for suppliers to engage with their customers through a fair, open and transparent third-party qualification process.

In June, the team has overseen the successful completion of an audit of the company’s ISO9001:2008 accreditation – the international standard for Quality Assurance. This surveillance audit of the quality management systems was undertaken by NQA (part of NTS), which is one of the leading independent providers of accredited certification, training and support services to help organisations perform better in quality, environment, energy, sustainability and health & safety management.

During the three-day audit, there were no NC’s (non-compliances) raised however, one opportunity for improvement was identified with reference to the collection of customer feedback.

Peter Coleman, Global Rail Construction’s Head of Compliance, was delighted and said:

“Special thanks again to all those who participated in the audit both in the office and also at the 820 Romford Project.

“Our philosophy is to never stop improving, we believe we can always can do better, consistently, continually and sustainably. That’s what we strive for at Global Rail Construction and it’s what we’re here to help achieve, transforming our business and building for future success.”

You can read more about Global Rail Construction’s commitment to their corporate social responsibilities here:

https://www.theglobalinfrastructuregroup.com/global-rail-construction/corporate-responsibility/

Global Rail Australia expands its operation to Sydney

Global Rail Australia Pty Limited and its sister telecommunications operation GRA Networks are pleased announce that their new regional office and Warehouse in Sydney has opened on the 6th June 2017.

The fully contained facility will support its rail and telecoms contracts to help deliver Sydney’s multi-modal transport regeneration plan.

The company has assembled a vastly experienced management team to run this operation, whose rail and telecoms industry reputation precedes them.

Global Rail are undertaking a major recruitment drive at the moment for technical and installation support mechanical and electrical signalling disciplines – see https://www.theglobalinfrastructuregroup.com/global-rail-australia/work-with-us/careers/

Their new office in Sydney is a signal of its regional expansion, which is heralded from recent successes across its rail infrastructure sectors of operation, which encompass civil and structural engineering, M&E and Railway Signalling.

The company has an outstanding record throughout the state of Melbourne and will be delivering this offering in Sydney, off the back of some important contract wins.

GRA Networks Ireland and ESB Telecoms Get Connected

We are proud to announce news of a long-term framework that has just been awarded to GRA Networks Ireland, in respect of ESB Telecoms Tower Build’s and Maintenance Services Programme. The works will be on behalf of ESB Telecoms Ltd (ESBT), who were established in 2001 as a wholly owned subsidiary of ESB Group, and are Ireland’s leading independent telecoms infrastructure and bandwidth solutions provider.

ESB (Electricity Supply Board) itself was founded in 1927 as a statutory corporation in the Republic of Ireland, and is currently 95% owned by the State. It is a vertically integrated utility, generating and delivering electricity to customers all over the Republic. ESB Group employs approximately 7,150 people.

GRA Networks Ireland was formed in 2011 as a result of an opportunity to supply a more comprehensive and effective delivery model in respect of Wireless Telecoms Services to Main Telecom Providers.

Since its inception, GRA Networks Ireland has secured significant packages of work based on its expertise in various disciplines and by providing flexible management and skilled resources on a project-by-project basis.

As a result, the company has successfully completed projects for a variety of clients ranging from state bodies and local authorities to major infrastructure organisations and network providers.

In addition, GRA Networks Ireland has worked as a supplier on various high profile projects in partnership with some of the most respected names in the telecoms, rail, construction and energy sectors.

This contract includes:

  • Completing climb downs on ESBT structures (reporting and signing off on both the integrity of the structure, the quantity of equipment installed and the quality of the installations on the structures on the Safety Extranet System)
  • Carrying out maintenance and repairs on ESBT sites e.g. weeding, painting, fence repairs, building repairs, access issues
  • Replacing fall arrest systems as required by ESBT
  • Performing earth testing to ESBT requirements
  • Electrical and Mechanical Maintenance on ESBT POP sites

Global Rail Services secures prestigious contract with Irish Aviation Authority

Global Rail Services has been awarded an exciting new contract on behalf of the Irish Aviation Authority for the design, supply and installation of an Antennae Mast together with all associated building works and site development works at their facility in Rosslare, Co. Wexford.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is a commercial semi-state company employing approximately 650 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has three main functions: the provision of air traffic management and related services in Irish controlled airspace, the safety regulation of the civil aviation industry in Ireland and the oversight of civil aviation security in Ireland.

Global Rail Services will be working with their specialist subsidiary GRA Networks to deliver these works. GRA Networks is a full service telecommunications contractor and provides a comprehensive range of services from upgrading existing infrastructure, to building new mobile phone towers and other wireless network infrastructure. 

Tom Staunton, General Manager of Global Rail Services, commented on this award and said:

“Global Rail Services has a strong pedigree in the design and build of Antennae Masts throughout Ireland. Our experience working in highly regulated industries such as rail and transport infrastructure provides our clients with the necessary confidence to place contracts of this complexity with us.

“Global Rail Services and our subsidiary GRA Networks are delivering on our promises throughout Ireland, including current mast installation contracts on behalf of Irish Rail.

“We look forward to delivering another successful project, this time on behalf of our client IAA.”

Global Rail Services is part of the Global Infrastructure Group of companies, who are an internationally focussed; leading specialist organisation, delivering civil engineering, signalling, telecoms, mechanical and electrical design and build solutions within a number of core industries.

Global Rail Services & GRA Networks Ireland Complete 40m Monopole Installation in Broombridge

We are pleased to announce the successful installation of a 40m monopole at the Broombridge radio site, as part of our ongoing signalling, electricial and telecommunications works for the LUAS’s BXD project on behalf of Efacec Portugal.

Luas Cross City is a new 5.6km light rail line that will run from Dublin city centre to Broombridge in the North West of the City.

The main purpose of the new Radio Transmission system is to provide radio voice and data communication services that will extend the existing Motorola Dimetra IP TETRA network in order to provide coverage to the new LUAS BXD Line.

The specific scope, at Broombridge Depot, covered the installation of a new MTS Base Station and a 40m monopole to support the antennas of the MTS.

The combined talent of Global Rail Services and GRA Networks Ireland – a division specifically formed to supply a more comprehensive delivery model in respect of Wireless Telecoms Services for major telecommunications projects and providers – fully managed the logistics in respect of the monopole components and carefully assembled them ready for the installation.

The monopole works were completed on time and to the satisfaction of Efacec. The full LUAS project is due for completion at the end of the year.

Tom Staunton, Global Rail Services General Manager, commented on this latest project milestone saying:

“Our partnership with Efacec continues to go from strength to strength. It is Global Rail Services ability to provide a fully managed and integrated service with our telecom division GRA Networks Ireland that really sets us apart. We look forward to further project milestones being achieved over the coming year”.

Global Rail Services is a rail infrastructure contractor operating on both mainline and light rail systems, with in-house capabilities across Civil Engineering, M&E, Building and Permanent Way. They offer a fully managed and cohesive service for their clients.

GRA Networks Ireland is a leading provider of services to clients in the transportation, telecommunications, utilities and energy markets, providing either sector specific services or a fully managed turnkey solution. They specialise in the design, installation, commissioning and testing of critical infrastructure in Ireland and also has an operation in Melbourne – GRA Networks Australia.