Owner and operator of UK railway infrastructure Network Rail has added AtkinsRéalis Group to an alliance of contractors working on the ambitious Midlands Rail Hub programme.
The eight-year project has already received 123 million of government funding to progress design and development work, and will reconfigure rail services across Birmingham and the wider region to enable additional train services and new journey options for passengers.
VolkerRail, Laing O'Rourke and Siemens Mobility have also been appointed to the programme by Network Rail - a non-departmental public body that is part of the Department for Transport.
Government investment in rail infrastructure is essential to improving connectivity and supporting economic growth...
"Government investment in rail infrastructure is essential to improving connectivity and supporting economic growth," explains Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. "Programmes such as the Midlands Rail Hub demonstrate the potential for transformative place-led growth when enhanced transport infrastructure is combined with wider regeneration and development opportunities, creating corridors of growth that improve connectivity for communities and businesses."
"AtkinsRéalis brings proven credentials to the Midlands Rail Hub, from major station redesigns including Birmingham New Street to large-scale alliance programs such as East West Rail," adds Chris Ball, President, United Kingdom and Ireland, AtkinsRéalis. "The alliance model enables us to work collaboratively with our partners to deliver the design and development work that will reshape connectivity for millions of people across this economically important region."
As a member of the alliance, AtkinsRéalis will provide a range of services and expertise including multi-disciplinary design, engineering leadership, project management and controls, commercial and risk management, and environment and consenting across the project.
The Midlands Rail Hub could cost around 1.75 billion upon full delivery. Early passenger benefits are expected by the early 2030s, adding up to 300 extra trains a day to the West Midlands rail network, and improving services between Birmingham and more than 50 locations across the Midlands and Wales.
The programme will reconfigure how Birmingham's three main stations - New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill - are served by train services, and establish new connections between main lines, with work initially focusing on station improvements and infrastructure upgrades.
AtkinsRéalis' appointment builds on its extensive rail infrastructure portfolio across the UK, including upgrading signalling through Network Rail's 4 billion Train Control Systems Framework; delivering the first stage of the East West Rail programme which is re-establishing a direct link between Oxford and Cambridge; and its position as Railway Systems Integration Partner for the East Coast Digital Programme, which is introducing in-cab digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line.
Sources
Network Rail, https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/midlands-rail-hub-looks-to-the-future-with-appointment-of-alliance-partners
West Midlands Combined Authority, https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/mayor-says-government-s-funding-for-key-rail-and-road-projects-will-drive-growth-opportunity-and-better-journeys/
