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.