SRSA complete Cambridge South 2023 Christmas programme

As part of their £40 million Cambridge South contract awarded in September, the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA) has completed a major rail systems milestone over the Christmas period.

Encompassing an eight-day possession, the team delivered a Christmas programme of multidisciplinary track and overhead line electrification upgrades including:

• Realigned 1.54km of Track into the New Loop Line
• Renewed 1.7km of New Contact & Catenary Wires
• Renewed 550m of Return Conductor
• 33 Spans of Droppers
• 66 locations registered
• Commissioned 2.86km of New PL Track & Overhead Line Equipment
• Installed 11 OLE Masts and 5 Portal Booms

This stage of works now completes the Any Line Open 1 (ALO1) programme which commenced in October 2023. This stage of the work completes a new track realignment and associated catenary works that enables the continuation of the next key stage of the station build. The work also paves the way for upgrade and resilience works to Shepreth Branch Junction and at Hills Road to begin later this year.

SRSA Director, Said Lahssioui said: “With Christmas being one of the busiest periods in the railway calendar for engineering work, the SRSA team focused their time, dedication & commitment to the successful delivery of a key milestone for the new Cambridge South station.”

Sanjay Patel, Sponsor for Network Rail Anglia route said: “This was an important milestone in the programme for the new Cambridge South station and SRSA have done a great job delivering the necessary track and over-head line improvements to allow us to progress to the next stage of work.”

Cambridge South Station is anticipated to open to the public in 2025.

The SRSA (comprised of Colas Rail Ltd., Network Rail and AECOM) are part of the delivery team appointed by the Department of Transport alongside delivery partners Network Rail, Alstom and Murphys.