Welcome to the Friday Feed, our rundown of this week’s construction news
🚉 Rail
The East West Rail programme has been re-shaped, with plans confirmed for a £6.6bn revamp of the Marston Vale line that will see five stations cut and four rebuilt, including a new Stewartby station serving the future Universal theme park. The DfT has supported the revised design approach, which aims to better meet local community needs. Elsewhere, Oxfordshire County Council has also adopted OxRail 2040, a long-term plan outlining new interventions to modernise stations, improve passenger services and strengthen freight capability across the county. Completing a major week for the sector, King Charles officially opened the £100m South Wales Metro Depot at Taff’s Well, which will support 400 jobs and maintain the network’s new fleet of tram-trains.
🛫 Ports and Aviation:
Manchester Airport has reached a key milestone in its ÂŁ1.3bn Terminal 2 transformation, with the final airline moving its operations into the new facility as the redevelopment enters its final stages.
⚡Energy
A blustery Remembrance Day saw Britain’s wind farms generate enough power for 22 million homes, supplying nearly 44% of the country’s electricity and setting a new single-day record. In Ireland, Nordex has secured a contract to supply 12 turbines for the 58MW Drumnahough wind farm in County Donegal as pre-construction progresses. Offshore, SPIE Wind Connect has been awarded the final cable termination scope at the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, completing its involvement across all three phases of the project. Ocean Winds has also secured the final 1.5GW floating offshore wind site in the Celtic Sea under the Crown Estate’s Round 5 leasing process, joining Equinor and Gwynt Glas in progressing up to 4.5GW of new generation. In the energy infrastructure space, National Grid has secured early funding to progress its Sea Link HVDC project for delivery by 2030. Meanwhile, Carbon3.ai has pledged £1bn to develop a network of renewables-powered data centres across converted industrial sites, and Great British Energy has confirmed the next wave of 250 schools selected for its national solar rollout.
đźš— Roads
Vinci’s Ringway has secured a £1bn, 21-year highways contract to maintain and upgrade Kent County Council’s network from 2026 onwards. The long-term agreement will cover resurfacing, asset improvement and winter service delivery. In the East Midlands, the government has approved National Highways’ plans to overhaul two major bottlenecks on the A52 at Nottingham Knight and Wheatcroft roundabouts, with construction due to begin in 2026 following a public inquiry into land acquisition.
🏠Property and development
The UK Government has announced new planning policy changes introducing a “default yes” for housing near railway stations, including on parts of the Green Belt, to accelerate development in highly accessible locations. Cumberland Council has awarded places to 24 contractors on its £630m capital works framework, covering general building, civil engineering and combined project packages through to 2029. In London, Dubai-based developer Arada has acquired an 80% stake in the 5,000-home Thameside West scheme, a major regeneration site at the Royal Docks. In Northern Ireland, architects Snøhetta and TODD have revealed updated designs for the £100m Belfast Stories Cultural Centre, while in Ireland the long-running National Paediatric Hospital project has seen further cost increases, rising to €2.2bn with completion now expected in 2026.
đź’§Water
The Environment Agency has warned that improving water efficiency must become a national priority, with significant action needed from water companies and consumers to meet legally binding environmental targets. Severn Trent has begun early supplier engagement for its £200m Minworth pipeline, forming part of the Midlands–South East water transfer programme. Meanwhile, Barhale has restructured its board and regional operations to support its growing water infrastructure portfolio, following recent wins on United Utilities’ AMP8 frameworks and its involvement in the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme.
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