Welcome to the Friday Feed, our rundown of this week’s construction news
🚉 Rail
In rail news this week, a redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station has been approved. The permission was secured by Network Rail after City of London Corporation officers accepted that some loss of the historic fabric of the building was required to deliver the station improvements. Elsewhere, TfL has launched preliminary market engagement for a Bakerloo line upgrade; stating that the line’s 1972 Tube trains are now the oldest rolling stock in the UK and need replacing. In Scotland, Network Rail has launched a £450m electrification framework. The plans will see overhead lines and traction power systems being built as part of Scotland’s railway decarbonisation programme.
🛫 Ports and Aviation
The first commercial bio-methanol bunkering service in the UK has launched at the Port of Immingham. Exolum, Methanex Corporation and Ørsted have announced the commercially ready bio-methanol storage and supply service, which will allow for a low‑carbon fuel supply for shipping. In aviation, Heathrow Airport has warned it could lose its title as Europe’s busiest airport without approval for its expansion plans. It comes as it announced 6.5 million passengers went through the airport in January, a 2.2% increase on last year. Lastly, Southampton Airport has announced plans to expand including two new passenger lounges, as it seeks to grow to over 3 million passengers a year. The airport extended its runway in 2023 allowing for larger aircraft to take off and land.
⚡Energy
In the energy sector, National Grid has completed a cross‑border overhead line upgrade north of its Harker substation near Carlisle, a key cross‑border link that gets power to homes and businesses in England and Scotland. Solar Ireland has named Seán Sherlock as its policy director, the move come as Irish policy priority moves to delivery and grid investment. Lastly Ørsted has taken delivery of its first Hornsea 3 monopiles for the world’s single largest offshore wind farm. Each weigh an average of 1,670 tonnes and measure 90m in length.
🚗 Roads
National Highways has announced a £1.9 million community fund to support good causes around the Lower Thames Crossing, with up to £10,000 available for organisations in the area. In other news Jackson has won the contract to construct a £22m East Sussex bridge. A construction timetable will now be finalised, with works expected to start later this year. Lastly, the West of England Combined Authority has said that new links to Bristol Airport could include trams, light rail or buses, the airport is currently the UK’s largest without a mass transit link.
🏠Property and development
Glencar has been chosen to build a data centre in north London. This is the next phase of Pure Data Centres £1bn campus at Brent Cross. In other news, The Restoration and Renewal Client Board has said that Parliament’s £3bn early works should start this year, to allow for future works to happen on schedule. In Leeds, consultants have been selected to lead a £1bn Eastgate Quarter regeneration. Leeds based developers Khalbros and Torsion Group have formed a joint venture for a mixed use scheme, set to be developed on land from between Vicar Lane and Bridge Street in the east.
💧Water
In the water sector, Anglian Water has launched a £1.5bn Major Projects Framework aimed to deliver environmental protection and improvements. The initial projects under this framework agreement will include the company’s AMP8 (2025-2030) coastal water improvement projects, valued at more than £400m. A selection of companies including Costain, Jacobs, Murphy, MWH, Mott MacDonald Bentley and VolkerStevin are set to work in Salford on a £525m wastewater reset. They will spearhead a programme to modernise wastewater assets across the city over the next five years. Finally, STRABAG UK has appointed a new project director for its £3bn HARP scheme. Glyn Edwards has spent the last eight years at CPB Contractors in Australia, heading up the companies tunnelling operations.
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