GB Railfreight supporting work on Network Rail’s East Coast Upgrade programme

Credit: GB Railfreight

GB Railfreight (GBRf), one of the largest rail freight operators in the UK, has been working on a project to renew the signalling system and overhead line equipment in the King’s Cross area, followed by major work to install a new simplified track design at London King’s Cross Station.

This work is part of Network Rail’s extensive East Coast Upgrade programme, marking £1.2 billion worth of investment into significant improvements to the East Coast Main Line, which will transform journeys between London, Cambridgeshire, the North of England and Scotland.

Between February and May 2021, over 100 trains will be running from Doncaster and Whitemoor LDCs, making this the largest possession site that GBRf will have contributed to at any one time. The peak will see more than 25 GB Railfreight locomotives on site and was scheduled for 1 March 2021. The quick turnaround demonstrates GBRf’s ability to accommodate the varying needs of its customers and is a sign of the company’s overall resilience at a time of economic and business uncertainty.

Work began on 26 February 2021, with several very intense weeks for GBRf’s engineering trains, followed by extended support that will be delivered by the company until the end of May 2021.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said: “This is another example of GB Railfreight stepping up to support a huge bespoke project. It required a tailored solution, which we will be able to deliver thanks to the effective collaboration that is consistently shown across our team. We are proud to have demonstrated to Network Rail, and the wider rail industry, that GBRf can rise to a challenge and deliver a solution to support major infrastructure projects. This puts us in a strong position to accept similar campaigns in the future.”

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “We’re extremely grateful to all of our contractors, who are together making the King’s Cross improvements possible. GBRf are playing a key role this work which, when complete in June 2021, will see a new simplified track layout, two additional new tracks and the replacement of overhead line equipment and new signalling. For the next few months, we will be fully focused on the successful delivery of the work and which will bring improved reliability and punctuality while also ensuring that we have the capacity to transport more passengers in the future.”