This week’s round-up of business news from the UK railway industry.
SPL Powerlines worked with Network Rail on the first Scottish deployment of Tended’s Virtual Worksite Marker Boards, using geofencing technology in place of traditional physical worksite marker boards in a T3A possession. Deployed as part of the Fife & Borders Electrification project, this reduced the time between signal protection and machines being on track to just a few minutes, a process that typically takes between 30 and 40 min.
Network Rail has awarded a five-year Programme Partner framework contract to a joint venture of Arcadis and AtkinsRéalis for the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The contract is valued at up to £100m, with an option to extend up to eight years; it covers services including project management, programme controls and integration, data analytics, schedule monitoring, risk management, strategic advisory and construction and commercial management.
Commenting on the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, Andy Steel, MD of rail contractor QTS Group, said ‘it was great to see the Chancellor commit to tackling the number of young people not in education, employment or training during her statement. The skills shortage presents a significant challenge across most industries, particularly in sectors like rail where the workforce is ageing. I welcome new reforms looking to tackle the issue and would like to see greater incentives for businesses — this is a crucial part of solving the problem and should not be overlooked.’
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has appointed Winvic Construction to build a 3·1 km haul road to support construction of the replacement Waterbeach station, which is to be built by Spencer Group.
Contactless payment is to be extended to 20 more Greater Anglia stations including Stansted and Southend Airports on March 8. The stations were to have gone live with 30 Chiltern, Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern stations on December 14 2025, but issues were identified which affected journeys on Greater Anglia services.
Engineering consultancy COWI has appointed Glasgow-based Eva MacInnes as Senior Vice-President for UK & Ireland and Managing Director of its UK business, working across infrastructure, energy and transport. She has spent more than a decade on the Women in Rail Scotland steering committee, supporting retention, progression and STEM outreach across the sector.
Lancaster Brewery’s Scott & Brassey pub on Platform 4 at Carlisle station opened on February 25 following an extensive renovation of the former first class waiting room by Network Rail, with support from station manager Avanti West Coast, £350 000 of funding from the Department for Transport and a further £50 000 from the Railway Heritage Trust. Brewery owner Phil Simpson said ‘our aim was to deliver a bar with character and quality that fits with this historic location and gives customers somewhere that feels welcoming and a little bit special.’
East Midlands Railway and Network Rail have restarted a £3·3m project to regenerate Skegness station, with contractor Gelder Group appointed to replace Taziker Ltd which pulled out last year. The existing station building will be fully refurbished, and the remaining sections of the historic Red Star Building restored. The improvements will provide significantly enhanced facilities for passengers, including new waiting areas, accessible toilets, Changing Places facilities and parent and baby amenities. It will also create a community café and bookable space for community use, as well as two retail units.
GWR, Network Rail, Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Wiltshire County Council have completed a £2·3m ‘transformation’ of Chippenham station, with a south side forecourt, 200-space enclosed cycle hub, expanded capacity for buses, step-free ramp access, enhanced disabled parking and a new taxi rank intended to create a modern accessible transport hub while respecting the station’s Grade II listed heritage. New walking routes connect directly to Chippenham College and the town centre.
To support deaf and hard of hearing customers c2c has partnered with Sign Solutions to offer an InterpretersLive! British Sign Language video interpreter service which can be accessed via an app or online link.
RAIB has made five recommendations in its report into an incident at Ealing Broadway, where on November 24 2024 a passenger was dragged along the platform by an Elizabeth Line train. The first is addressed to the new operator, GTS Rail Operations, to improve how the risks of trap and drag events are understood and controlled. The second is for Transport for London to look at enhancing the views of the platform-train interface captured on DOO CCTV and presented to train drivers. The third recommendation asks Transport for London to evaluate technological options which may further reduce the risk of a passenger becoming trapped and subsequently dragged by a departing train. The fourth recommendation asks the Rail Safety & Standards Board to ensure that the rail industry standard for DOO CCTV incorporates latest practice. The final recommendation is for Network Rail to ensure any changes made to infrastructure on Elizabeth Line platforms have been evaluated and managed appropriately to ensure they do not impact the safety of railway operations and passenger safety. Two learning points concern the importance of effective safety‑critical communications and of the final safety check for drivers, and ensuring sufficient time is allocated to checking that the platform‑train interface is safe.