Blog Archives

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

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 – a division specifically formed to supply a more comprehensive delivery model in respect of Wireless Telecomms 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 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 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 both Ireland and Australia.

Global Rail Australia Secure Sydney Light Rail Project

We are very pleased to announce that Global Rail Australia has been awarded the rail signalling installation works on the Sydney Light Rail Project.

The CBD and South East Light Rail is a new light rail network for Sydney. The 12km route will feature 19 stops, extending from Circular Quay along George Street to Central Station, through Surrey Hills to Moore Park, then to Kensington and Kinsgford via Anzac Parade and Randwick via Alison Road and High Street. Construction is due to be completed and services will start running in 2019.

Global Rail Australia will be working with rail systems engineering giant Alstom on behalf of Transport for NSW, to help them in their mission of developing a safe, efficient, integrated transport system that keeps people moving, connects communities and shapes the future of our cities, centres and regions.

The CBD and South East Light Rail will cost approximately $1.6 billion to complete, funded from the transport budget and a PPP arrangement. Construction on the project will take place in stages, with city streets closed in sections to minimise disruption to residents, businesses and commuters. Once completed, light rail will significantly benefit businesses along the route. Construction is likely to take between five and six years to complete.

The signalling project scope for the Transport Information Solution (TIS) includes the full installation and functional testing of the following rail signalling assets:

  • installation of Compact cabinets
  • installation of Smart IO and associated modules
  • installation of CLC Cubicles and associated modules
  • axle counters – cabling and install
  • capsys loops – mas unit, joints and cabling
  • point machines – motorised
  • point machines – manual
  • signals and poles
  • track circuits
  • signal route indicators
  • control boxes and poles
  • limit of shunt boards and poles
  • signalling and power cable installation
  • sealing of conduits

Global Rail Australia will also assist Alstom with final testing and commissioning works.

CEO Ivan Holloway was thrilled with this contract award and said:
“This is a significant signalling installation contact award for the company. Playing our part in Sydney’s transport regeneration plan, we are delighted to be involved in this major light rail infrastructure project.

Our teams have worked tirelessly on this project. We look forward to commencing the signalling installation works very soon and to a long-term future with out partner Alstom.”

You can see more by viewing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3h2WiwoVaU

Global Rail Construction Limited opens a new Derby office

Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) has opened an office in Derby to facilitate a new core business offering around the supply of labour. The new strategically placed office will be used to meet external client demands for labour including safety critical personnel, as well as supporting GRCL’s own current and future rail projects in the Midlands and North of the UK.

The company has assembled an experienced and committed management team to run this new labour division, whose industry reputation in the rail sector precedes them. As a safe and trusted partner for clients working on some of the UK’s biggest rail infrastructure projects, GRCL know it is not just about providing people with the right skills, it is also about providing people with the right approach. This reinforces their strapline of “Resourcing Solutions to the Railway Industry.”

The company is fully committed to the rigorous requirements of the rail industry. As an employer, GRCL continuously ensures the health, safety and wellbeing of all its workers and always verify their competencies. The company has an outstanding reputation for staff retention, underpinned by the quality and diversity of its resource and its commitment to world-class training and development of its staff.

GRCL holds a Full Principal Contractors Licence and is a leading UK provider of design and build services to clients in the rail and transportation sector. With its head office in Hertfordshire, the company undertakes projects throughout the UK; the opening of the new midlands hub, on 3rd April 2017, allows project managers direct coverage of contracts across this region of the country. It is also a milestone for the company due to the city of Derby’s significance to the rail industry.

The Roundhouse at Derby is the world’s first and oldest surviving railway roundhouse. It was originally developed in 1839 by four rival rail companies, including North Midland Railway (NMR) for whom George Stephenson and his son Robert were engineers.

The Midland Railway became one of the country’s prominent railway companies with lines throughout Derbyshire, up to Carlisle in the North (including the country’s highest station at Dent) and to the south with its London terminus at spectacular St Pancras. From 1873, the Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as “The Loco”, became a major manufacturer of locomotives and rolling stock units. When the railways were nationalized in 1947, the Derby works became part of the BR Workshops.

GRCL’s new office in Derby is a signal of its growth and success across its rail infrastructure sectors of operation, which encompass civil and structural engineering, E&P, signalling and building works – as well as its new exciting labour supply arm. The company has a great track record of achievements across the country and is no stranger to the Midlands area, by virtue of its significant contribution to the East Notts Resignalling project, which was completed at the end of last year.

Progressive Credit Union Building Works Completed

Global Rail Services is pleased to confirm that the building works at the Progressive Credit Union Building in Dublin has been successfully concluded.

The refurbishment project involved constructing a new entrance to the front of the building together with enhancements for fire safety and disabled access to the external areas.

Internally, further works were required to enhance the building for fire safety and disabled access together with improving the work environment and the long-term maintenance requirements of the building.

The project required Global Rail Services to complete all works within a fully operational office environment. This required careful segregation of the works, a detailed schedule of planned activities and close liaison with the many stakeholders that use or come into contact with the building.

Global Rail Services is a leading Irish multi-disciplinary contractor that offers a one-stop building and refurbishment solution, using a combination of their in-house Project Management, Building and M&E workforce.
Works were completed and handed over to a delighted client in March 2017.

Global Rail Construction In The Press

RailStaff magazine has publicised a feature on the recent appointment of Sean Donaghey at Global Rail Construction Ltd.

The article, on page 10 of the publication, announces Sean’s role as Operations Director for the UK arm of the Global Infrastructure Group and goes into some detail about his 30-year, multi-disciplinary career. Sean has gained substantial operational experience of the rail, construction and power industries, working on high-profile projects including the design and development of the £30 million station roof replacement for May Gurney Ltd.

Global Rail Construction Ltd. was delighted to welcome Sean on board and was pleased that this significant appointment was featured in the rail industry’s leading ‘people’ publication.

This coverage further promotes the growing presence of the wider Global Infrastructure Group, whose international operations cover the UK, Irish and Australian Rail, Transport and Infrastructure markets.

You can read more by clicking here.

GSM-R telecom project commenced

Global Rail Services, the Dublin based provider of multi-disciplined contracting services throughout Ireland, has just commenced GSM-R Package 2d.

The overall objective of the project is to install telecoms towers and monopoles to facilitate the roll out of the GSM-R project Phase 2.

Package 2d specifically relates to the eight remaining sites within the greater Dublin and North East Leinster areas.

Global Rail Services is providing a fully project managed service for the complete Civil Engineering and Mechanical and Electrical scope of works, and is working closely with its sister company and telecoms specialist GRA Networks, to deliver the contract requirements.

The works include:

  • Tower design, fabrication and delivery,
  • Site ground works and tower foundations,
  • Tower installations,
  • Ducting works,
  • Earthing works,
  • Fibre,
  • Mini pillar installations,
  • Manholes and earthing pits,
  • Palisade fencing around the compound,
  • Traffic management and;
  • Crane lifts to install equipment shelter and tower sections.

Works are due for completion late spring 2017.

Banbury Depot signalling installation works secured by UK based Global Rail Construction

Global Rail Construction (GRCL) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the next two signalling installation phases at Banbury Depot.

Having already successfully delivered the first phase of the signalling installation works at the depot and also been the first signalling organisation in the UK to install and commission a Tiefenbach points machine with associated back-drive – Global Rail Construction is delighted to secure further works.

The full scope of works included the full installation and commissioning of four points machines, three B Switches, a brand new Control Panel, along with the associated and necessary cabling and wiring. The previous works were undertaken during railway line blockages in the depot and required close and appropriate stakeholder engagement with the Banbury depot staff.

With parts coming from Europe, logistics management was vital. Global Rail Construction even took to flying over to Germany to obtain the necessary materials to ensure timely delivery and completion of the signalling installation works.

Working closely with design and testing partner Fenix Signalling, the project was commissioned on time.

Marco Lombardelli, Managing Director of Global Rail said this:

“Global Rail Construction has considerable experience in delivering complex turnkey railway signalling projects and has an extensive portfolio of successfully commissioned projects.

“The company’s services include the management, planning, installation, test and commissioning of complete railway signalling systems. From conducting the initial feasibility studies and developing the Construction Phase Plan, through to installation and testing of the equipment, our project management teams ensure that each element is completed and fully tested and commissioned before the project is signed off.”

Global Rail Australia Secures Framework Agreement with MTM

Global Rail Australia is delighted to announce the award of a minor services vendor panel agreement with Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM).

This framework award follows two successful years of multi-disciplinary project delivery with MTM, including projects such as the MORN Platform Shelter Project and Caulfield Canopy Works where a positive testimonial was given by MTM for Global Rail Australia’s railway project management skills. They also cited the high quality end product delivered, which culminated in Global Rail Australia delivering completed sites free of any defects.

MTM is the operator of the Melbourne metropolitan rail network and operates a fleet of over 200 six-carriage trains running on a network consisting of 16 lines, more than 200 stations and over 800 kilometres of track. This framework will allow MTM to engage Melbourne based Global Rail Australia on a multitude of railway infrastructure works.

These works include:

  • Track Welding
  • General Railway Construction – Track
  • Earthworks, Drainage and Trenching

CEO Ivan Holloway commented on this significant award by saying:

“Global Rail Australia has proven experience in delivery of the most exacting projects across a diverse range of service sectors.

“Our in-house capabilities, our scale and our supply chain partnerships have allowed Global Rail Australia to deliver complex multi-disciplinary projects that have made a positive difference to MTM and many other clients, across the Australian rail infrastructure industry that we serve.”

Global Rail Services impress as they successfully deliver highway infrastructure contracting project for ESB Networks in Drogheda

Global Rail Services (GRSL), has just completed infrastructure works on behalf of ESB Networks, the electricity supplier that provides nearly 2.3 million customers throughout Ireland with a safe and efficient power supply.

The purpose of the project was to provide a new ESB power connection to the new Courthouse in Drogheda. The works completed, under Global Rail Services national trenching and ducting framework, is part of ESB’s investment to the electricity network, increasing reliability and performance of the nation’s power network.

The specific works at Dominic Street in Drogheda, involved a huge amount of stakeholder interface and advance planning for GRSL and encompassed a series of road and pavement closures, traffic management, permits and licencing – all to the satisfaction of the ESB and Louth County Council, whilst the infrastructure contractor effectively managed both the public and its own direct labour workforce.

The scope of works included the open cut excavation of a new power route through Dominic Street, Drogheda to a depth of nearly one metre below the existing road surface and the installation of 2 number 125mm ducts on a bed of sand.

The ducts were then backfilled with lean mix concrete 75mm above the top of the duct and compacted.

Following ESB’s cable installation, the trench and road surface was then permanently reinstated in accordance with the purple book and in compliance with the conditions set out in the road opening licence issued by Louth County Council.

The project had tight deadlines and a narrow window of opportunity, which GRSL managed well to complete the project successfully. ESB were very satisfied with the works delivered and complemented the team for a job well done.

Roxboro House Refurbishment Contract Secured By Global Rail Services

Global Rail Services are pleased to announce that it has just secured the Roxboro House renovation project from Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail).

This prestigious multi-disciplinary building project, involves the specialist rail building contractor, fully refurbishing an existing two storey building, which is situated on the Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) railway works site to the north of Colbert Railway Station in Limerick City.

The two-storey structure, houses generally office accommodation and is currently in use. Global Rail Services will have to manage the extensive works with care, as parts of the building will remain in use and will be occupied during the works.

The works will be completed in three phases and include; demolition of the existing lobby, new internal walls, full M&E fit out, full office fit out, installation of new internal doors, fit out of new canteen, new external security doors, new uPVC triple glazed windows, new external insulation to be installed, new roof construction, repairs to existing roof and chimney, new foul and surface water drainage connections, new SVP’s, RWP’s and gutters, full internal and external painting and new external lighting and a CCTV system.