Image Credit: Kevin Hoar
Across the Easter period, the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA) carried out their comprehensive construction programme as we continue to put the passenger first.
Across their respective regions, our teams delivered the following:
Tonbridge Division – Staines & Willingdon Junction
Staines, Surrey
Working across three stages, with the final part of the programme completed over the Easter bank holiday, the SRSA’s Tonbridge division delivered:
Stage One
Initial possession facilitated 85m of coper adjustments and associated platform resurfacing.
Stage Two
Second stage consisted of 248m of plain line renewal with conductor rail throughout Staines Platform 1.
Stage Three – Easter Bank Holiday Weekend
The final possession involved renewing the life expired double junction country end of Staines Station – with the switches and crossings (S&C) 4354pts, 4353pts and 4353 fixed diamonds replaced with additional plain line and conductor rail works completed.
The following weekend, a possession was arranged to undertaking tamping to remove any snagging and ensure the section of track is of the highest quality to be handed back to the client.
Image Credits: James Freeman, Charlotte Tyler and Riley Goldsmith
While our infrastructure team completed their project scope, our Electrical & Power team (E&P) also undertook a variety of works at Staines, including:
- Over 1,500m of New Conductor Rail
- Approx 2,500m of New Positive & Negative cable installed with 56 Cable Management Sleepers
- 13 New Advance plates with 78 New Side Leads
- 2 New Track Disconnectors (TD) installed
- All 6 DC Feeder Cables doubled & renewed at Staines Substation which required significant Civils works & cable ducting.
- 11 Conductor Rail Welds
- High Voltage Feeders switched-out to allow the renewals to go ahead safely.
- Both sites successfully Section Proved
The work at Staines was completed successfully with the help of our Kirow team, transporting and lifting the 35 tonne S&C panels safely.
Willingdon Junction, Eastbourne
While the works at Staines were underway, another part of our Tonbridge division also completed a multidisciplinary blockade at Willingdon Junction.
The team renewed two point ends and a fixed diamond, 245m of plain line and 750m of conductor rail, as well as minor civil works centred around concrete bases and troughing routes.
The E&P team also re-used 6 Existing TDs as part of their scope at Willingdon.
Image Credit: Leon Phillips
Bristol Division – Swallowfield, Berkshire
Team Bristol handled a two weekend blockades at Swallowfield, with the first phase delivering 269m of track renewals welded and stressed, with a pair of transitions and five cable management sleepers.
These improvements allowed our team to hand the site back to the client with a 50mph temporary speed restriction.
The second weekend saw the team install a pair of twist rails, a pair of transitions with continuous welded rail.
Image credit: Alex Irimia
Anglia Division – Chelmsford, Essex
For their Easter bank holiday weekend, Team Anglia delivered two S&C renewals at Chelmsford renewal to improve services running through the London End of the station.
Anglia also completed 146m of plain line track renewals.
Kings Norton – Thorney Mill
Team Kings Norton started the first of three stages of renewals at Thorney Mill, where they completed 370m of track renewals, including sleepers re-laid and rerailing.
All works highlighted were completed with help from our supply chain and support from our On Track Plant team.
The SRSA is comprised of Colas Rail, Network Rail and AECOM, an alliance created to deliver a portfolio of works across the southern region of the UK over a 10-year period.
First Published: 2nd May 2024