Balfour Beatty awarded £50 million North West Electrification Phase 2 contract

Network Rail has awarded Balfour Beatty the North West Electrification Phase 2 Contract. The project will be led by Balfour Beatty Rail in joint venture with Balfour Beatty Engineering Services who will be undertaking the power and distribution works. Invensys Rail Limited will be carrying out the signalling, telecoms and SCADA works. Completion of the North West Electrification Project Phase 2 is crucial to the timetable changes required by Network Rail in December 2014.

Balfour Beatty Rail was awarded Phase 1 of the North West Electrification project in November 2011. By selecting Balfour Beatty to deliver Phase 2, Network Rail will be working collaboratively with a team that can deliver a low risk solution, with high outputs from an investment-led approach to efficiency improvement and delivering the benefits of coherence from Phase 1.

The work scope consists of the design, supply and installation of:

• 90 single track kilometres of new electrification including foundations, steel work and wiring.
• Substantial power distribution works
• Associated Signalling and Telecoms immunisation works
• SCADA works
• Testing and Commissioning of the new system

Skills, knowledge and lessons learnt from Phase 1 will be embraced and transferred within the engineering and delivery teams. This includes deploying innovative high output train based solutions such as the high output concrete train which was developed for Phase 1. By dispatching exact quantities of concrete through its volumetric mixer, the concrete train provides a more efficient and sustainable solution. A new high output wiring unit will also be added to the fleet for Phase 2, providing increased flexibility in the programme and allowing the project team to explore the potential for reducing the use of disruptive possessions. While a high output steel works train will ensure that the amount of work undertaken ‘off track’ will be maximised, as storage capacity allows support equipment to be pre-dressed to structural steel during the dayshift.

Martin Brown, Balfour Beatty Rail’s Project Director, commented:

“We are delighted to be awarded the contract for the Phase 2 works. Our latest innovations on this project will demonstrate our commitment towards our zero harm initiatives, sustainability and the seven day railway.”