Following 18 months of efficient planning and effective delivery, Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) has supported client and Principal Contractor Atkins, with the successful commissioning of Feltham to Wokingham Phases 3&4. The sheer scale of this achievement can be seen in the blockade numbers: GRCL deployed 64No RRV’s, 32No MEWP’s and 24No Scrap Train Shifts. In total 1,356 staff supported the blockade across 17 miles of track, downloads from step counters were in the region of 12-14 kilometres per day – an incredible effort!!

GRCL’s significant rail systems sub-contract, encompassed Civil and Structural Engineering including temporary works, E&P, Telecoms and Signalling installation works on Network Rail’s Wessex Route – part of their Southern Region. All existing lineside signalling infrastructure has been replaced with new equipment including all cabling, Location Case suites, Signal Structures. AWS and TPWS, and existing AC track circuit train detection replaced by the Frauscher Advanced Counter (FAdC) Axle Counter system. A total of 7No controlled Level Crossings have been renewed to interface with the new ElectroLogIXS lineside equipment with the decommissioning and replacement of the booms, barrier machines, road traffic lights (RTLs), and changing from incandescent bulbs to white light LEDs. This included all road re-surfacing works including yellow and white lining. Our pre-commissioning works enabled our teams to cover multiple sites over the two-week blockade closure of some the busiest lines in the region, including the full telecoms Installation works resulting in a total of 88 SPT’s and 12 Substation phones entered in service.

Our GRCL team has consistently demonstrated a collaborative approach throughout this sizeable multi-disciplinary project. Led by Project Manager Barry Smith, the entire workforce including our supply chain partners, deserve huge praise for the impressive result, resulting in timely culmination and successful commissioning of these newly signalled areas.

Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) is delighted to announce the award of a prestigious civil and structural engineering design contract for valued client Alstom, which forms part of the Arundel, Littlehampton, and Ford Signalling Contract.

The project will replace life expired signalling and other supporting equipment with new modern equivalent. The interlockings impacted are Arundel, Ford, and Littlehampton with fringe alterations to Lancing, Horsham and Barnham. The improvements will support mainly passenger trains, with services operated by GTR Southern, GTR Thameslink and the Great Western Railway. There are three level crossings and several under worked crossings within this geographical area.

GRCL’s scope covers a PACE 2/GRIP 4 turn-key civil and structural engineering design service and includes arranging and facilitating all design workshops and necessary trackside topographical and ground investigation surveys covering new signal locations, PSP’s, UTX’s, station platform cable routes, and signal post telephones.

This will also comprise a review of PACE 1/GRIP 3 and any pre-GRIP 4 deliverables, to propose where survey requirements can be removed based upon the existing information available. The required output from this phase will be:

• Production of a single option developed Civil Form A design including redundant equipment recovery
• Completion of a structures detailed examination report to prove the integrity of any affected existing structures
• A structures feasibility report
• A surface water drainage feasibility report

GRCL will provide all necessary design and survey resources as well as all design and project management staff and associated administrative support for the works and supply all necessary manuals, drawings, and design data to support the development of a single option solution in compliance with all applicable Network Rail standards and UK and European legislative requirements.

The design team will work in accordance with the requirements of the Southern Capital Delivery Programme integrated operating environment that defines safety, engineering, sustainability, and project controls for the delivery of projects. The team will also support information management procedures through use of the Bentley eB document control process.

GRCL will also obtain the required design checks and third-party technical approvals before submitting their design particulars and shall ensure that design checks are undertaken by their suitably qualified and persons in accordance with the appropriate standards according to asset type: NR/L2/CIV/003.

MD Marco Lombardelli commented on this success, saying:

“We are delighted with this award, which is testament to previous design and survey success with Alstom. Our philosophy will be to adopt a system engineering approach to all design integration and engineering work to deliver right first time, safe and sustainable solutions.”

GRCL’s design and consultancy team constantly adapts to new technology and innovation. State-of-the-art computer-aided design and simulation systems are used to assist with analysis and design, providing significant advantages for clients by lowering project costs and reducing programmes timescales.

In-house activities include:

• Civil engineering and structural design
• Mechanical, electrical, and power design
• Telecoms design
• CAD drafting and design including 3D modelling
• Independent design reviews

Global Rail Construction Limited is delighted to have been awarded a 3-year sub-contract programme of GRIP 6-8 railway civil engineering works, directly on behalf of valued client and Cambridge Resignalling Principal Contractor and Designer, Alstom.

The scheme is a condition led renewal, where a significant number of level crossings will be either renewed or modified as part of the project. The scope covers the following areas, controlled by Cambridge, Dullingham, Chippenham Junction, Bury St Edmunds, and Colchester signal boxes.

This prestigious civils project has been awarded to our UK team, following previous successful delivery by the company of both GRIP 4 Surveys and GRIP 5 Advanced Civils Works.

The GRIP 6-8 installation activities include:

• Civil foundations for signalling, electrical and telecoms lineside assets
• Civil works for all level crossing upgrades/conversions inclusive of railway, stations, and highway works
• Dullingham Station platform extension
• Demolition of redundant signal boxes

The programme covers 4-key commissioning stages leading to completion in December 2024 and will require Global Rail Construction to interface with Alstom’s Lead Engineer and provide input into other disciplines requirements/deliverables. GRCL will provide competent management and staff to ensure that the works meet the required Network Rail standards and meet the expected level of quality, to assist Alstom with the production and verification enabling the sign off of the Engineering Completion Certificates for all works.

Global Rail Construction Limited provide UK civil and structural design and build engineering solutions from initial project planning and design, to enabling works covering site surveys, hazard and environmental assessments, procurement, onsite construction, and equipment installation, through to final commissioning.

The company is flexible in its approach and can undertake civil engineering projects on a turnkey, consultancy, main contract, sub-contract, or resource supply basis to meet each individual client’s requirement.

Skills are applied to new build, refurbishment, and maintenance projects – activities include:

• Condition and dilapidation surveys
• Demolition and remediation
• Temporary works
• Utility services enabling and diversion
• Ground and site investigation
• Site excavation and enabling works
• New build and refurbishment (Sub-Stations, Platforms, Station buildings)
• Road construction
• Embankment works and retaining structures
• In-situ and precast concreting works

Our UK team has been awarded a fully managed, turnkey M&E design and installation project for Transport for London (TfL) at South Harrow Depot. The scope of works consists of the following items:

• LV DNO power distribution from South Harrow Station E4 Switch room to South Harrow Sidings LVAC panel
• Provision of containment within Sidings boundary to route the LU power supply from Sudbury Hill to South Harrow Sidings LVAC panel at the later stage (Power supply design by LU Power Projects team)
• Design, test and commission of LVAC panel which comprises of a section of panel from DNO distribution that provides power to Points Heating distribution; and a section of panel with Auto Transfer Switch arrangement with dual supplies from DNO and LU to feed the Points Motors power distribution Lighting Kiosk and existing Comms 6kVA UPS for CCTV load
• 2No IMD (Insulation monitoring device) for isolation transformers shall have power supply from local DB via 3 phase 6A MCB
• Design of On Train Control (OTC) PSU unit’s supply as per Communication specification (UIP3230-TFL-COM-P094-DRG-CO-00001).
• Design of lighting kiosk which comprises of lighting DB, lighting contactor panel and override push button station
• Design, test, and commission lighting control panel
• LV Cabling and Containment
• Effective sustainable lighting to comply with S1066 and compliant with ECA directive
• Emergency lighting to comply with S1066 and BS5266 – With integral battery backup within luminaires
• Lighting Controls – Photocell control at central location with override push button station on timer controls at central Lighting Kiosk location and remote push button station at 3 locations as shown on the design drawings
• 230 / 110V combined transformer 110V Socket at LVAC Kiosk location for maintenance tools
• Earthing and Bonding
• Liaising with supplier for LVAC panel, lighting control and isolation transformer
• Surge suppression devices for the panels including all the distribution boards
• Testing and commissioning for all the installed assets

South Harrow Sidings is being remodelled as part of the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme (DTUP), Piccadilly Line Upgrade Project (PLU), from 6 No. to 12 No. siding roads. To accommodate the revised stabling capacity and associated remodelling requirement, GRCL will deliver a revised LVAC and Site Wide Lighting supply to power new assets and illuminate walkways, assets and Driver Access Platform (DAPS) as well as install, test and commission a new LVAC panel, lighting control system, power supply to point motors and point heating system.

Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) has secured a rail contract on behalf of HS2 Principal Contractor Skanska. The main contract for Network Rail will replace the existing SAS 13 Bridge in Birmingham, which will facilitate an increased lateral clearance below the structure to enable the construction of HS2’s new up, down and depot access lines. Additionally, the new structure will allow for a road access to a new train depot and maintenance facility used by HS2.

Global Rail Construction Limited’s contract covers the removal, installation, testing and commissioning of the Cable Route Management System (CRMS) and High Voltage (HV) cabling to allow for cable diversions to enable the bridge jacking to proceed. The contract for the High Voltage Route and Cable Installation works will need to be completed well in advance of the May 2022 blockade.

The full scope of works covers:

High Voltage Cable Route

• Supply and Installation of Track Side Elevated GRP Trough Route – Circa 260m
• Direct Buried Route (Ground is a haul road of Stone and Geogrid) including excavation and subsequent backfilling – Circa 50m
• Supply and Installation of Cable Rack through Confined Space Culvert – Circa 50m
• Direct Buried Route (ground is a 100mm reinforced concrete slab in a licenced asbestos area) including excavation and subsequent backfilling – Circa 45m
• Supply and Installation of Ground Laid GRP Trough Route – Circa 140m
• Coring through the River Rea Culvert headwall

HV Cable Installation

• Hauling and installation of approximately 1600m of single core cable 120mm2 copper XLPE insulated with 83mm2 screen, MDPE, graphite – including 2No HV Joints
• Hauling and installation of approximately 1600m of 19/4.22 aluminium red PVC insulated cable – including 2No HV joints
• Testing and proving of installed cables

GRCL will provide adequate management and supervision to deliver this contract. Resources will be controlled to maximise collaboration with Skanska’s team, and achieve agreed outcomes in terms of quality, health, safety, and environmental performance. GRCL’s team will also provide daily input to support co-ordination meetings and deliver any necessary technical and programming information along with any other assistance to ensure the full integration of the work of all parties involved.

We are pleased that following a successful audit, we have been recertificated for ISO 45001: 2018. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the audit was converted into a remote audit, which went well and could also be recommended for future audits. The audit also covered our Principal Contractor SSIP assessment. Thank you to our Auditors for their cooperation and our Compliance team for their support during the audit.

An Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Management System promotes a healthy working environment by providing a framework to identify, control and manage OHS risks and opportunities.

Adopting and implementing an effective OHS Management System addresses legal, ethical, and industrial relations concerns regarding worker safety and our duty of care as an employer.

Implementing an OHS Management System reduces workplace injuries and minimises the associated costs. ISO 45001:2018 also shares common management systems principles with our other accreditations and systems covering ISO 14001 for Environmental Management and ISO 9001 for Quality Management.

Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) has been awarded a multi-disciplinary contract on behalf of Atkins for the civil and S&T installation works for a new level crossing at Sunningdale, which falls within Feltham Resignalling Phase 2.

The overall Feltham Resignalling Project covers the renewal of all signalling assets. Its area is covered by seven scheme plans, with delivery broken down into six separate Phases that align approximately to the Signalling Scheme Plan boundaries, Feltham ASC Signallers panels and Wokingham Signal Box.

Within the early advanced scope of Phase 2 is Sunningdale MCB-CCTV, which is subject to a full level crossing renewal and is due to be completed in early November 2021. The scope encompasses life extension works with addition of barrier repositioning and narrowing of carriageway.

GRCL’s awarded summary of works for this level crossing renewal includes the full civil engineering scope and trackside signalling equipment installation works, which will be delivered in-house and covers the following:

• Barrier and Red Man Standing Signal Bases and associated route/cable entries
• Marshalling Box bases and associated route/cable entries
• Earth Mat installation
• Turning Chamber
• Highway Works – Carriageway, Footway & Footpath Works
• RTL bases with NAL sockets and associated route/cable entries
• Installation of route/cable entries
• Existing Barrier Base modifications
• Lighting Control Unit Bases
• Hardstanding Areas
• Removal of existing fencing/gates
• Installation of new fencing/gates
• Sign Bases

GRCL will deliver and constructed these works, where possible, in fenced or Site Warden protected areas. However, there will be requirements for certain areas to be constructed during possessions/line blocks.

This level crossing renewal involves several stakeholders including Atkins, Network Rail, and other contracted parties. GRCL will look to work collaboratively with all concerned and use all reasonable endeavours to coordinate and make necessary allowance for working alongside others to deliver this level crossing renewal in accordance with the overall project programme.

Global Rail Construction Limited (GRCL) are pleased to announce the delivery of our promise to our client Network Rail, with the exciting introduction of a new online digital construction platform for its Feltham Phases 3-4 Advanced Civils Project. Its winning bid was based upon the provision of paperless technology as part of its UK operational drive towards sustainable, carbon neutral contracting.

From a bespoke list of requirements, our partner innDex has taken many of our existing paper-based site processes and procedures from a paper based, manual process and moved them into a real time application, which is now at the fingertips of our whole workforce.

As a rail business, compliance, processes and procedures are at the heart of what GRCL does and crucial to the delivery of our projects to the expected standards of every client. This platform brings together communication and decision making in real time, whereby GRCL will have at their fingertips, the full picture of each and every project delivered and be able to delve into historical projects, to support its continuous improvement drive through lessons learning. Dashboards like the ones shown are ready to help the project monitor and report about its people, health and safety matters and project progress.

Health, safety and wellbeing of our people matters more than ever and the innDex platform will support GRCL, with adherence to project health and safety requirements, allowing the company to address and resolve any issues quickly. It will further enhance GRCL’s site induction process too, reducing induction times by over 75%, with the ability to add videos or slideshows to this process, so that staff can be both briefed and site familiarised prior to even setting foot on site. Other features include real-time submissions of close calls, which can easily be viewed, addressed and closed out by the site team through the live dashboard reports. The innDex platform also supports digital toolbox talks and briefings to ensure that the whole team are up to date with any safety information and are aware of any hazards to watch out for on site.

Furthermore, we are using the application in support of our Covid-19 compliance, through the provision of a digital signing on process with a number of key questions that each member of staff/supply chain partner will need to answer prior to being able to sign into the shift. This goes together with our mandatory policy of testing and taking and recording temperatures for every individual at the start of each shift.

Global Rail Construction Limited’s Managing Director, Marco Lombardelli added:

“This paperless solution supports our UK sustainability objectives and enhances our business operations, to the benefits of both our entire workforce and our clients. By having full visibility of all our employees and supply chain in terms of skills, competence, experience and location, we can plan out and resource our projects in the most sustainable way. We are also able to calculate carbon footprint on our projects and further offset to become carbon neutral, with our business target of all projects to be carbon neutral by 2026.

“innDex have supported GRCL through bringing together processes into a single solution, allowing us to automate and digitalise, in order to improve our efficiency, productivity and health and safety.

“GRCL now have a platform with new, innovative features and functionality and as business are constantly on the lookout for new technology to improve how we operate and how this will benefit the UK rail industry and its passengers.”

Our UK team are delighted to announce their award as Principal Contractor for the design and construction of the Advanced Civil Engineering works for Phases 3 & 4 of the Feltham Resignalling Project – having submitted a most detailed and comprehensive offer to do so.

Global Rail Construction Limited will deliver the full GRIP 5-8 design and construct contract, which covers civil and structural engineering works on Network Rail’s Wessex Route.

Managing Director of Global Rail Construction Limited, Marco Lombardelli, was quick to praise his team:

“This is the culmination of a fantastic team effort. We are delighted to be back at Feltham, supporting our partner Network Rail to deliver first-class design and build solutions that put the passenger first.”

The Feltham Re-signalling project forms part of the Signalling Renewals/National Operating Strategy (NOS) scheme, which is intending to renew the life-expired signalling infrastructure in Feltham and Wokingham areas to the modern equivalent form.  The total scheme covers the renewal of 538 Signalling Equivalent Units (SEUs) and the full geographical work-scope covers in excess of eightly miles of railway lines.

Global Rail Construction Limited is part of the worldwide Global Infrastructure Group and is a leading UK provider of design and build services to clients in the rail and transportation sector. The company is a Principal Contractor for UK mainline and metro railways across a number of disciplines, which include signalling, mechanical, electrical and power (MEP), telecoms, civil and structural engineering, maintenance and renewal – providing fully tested and commissioned services on both Network Rail and Transport for London controlled infrastructure.

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