🚉 Rail
In this week’s rail news, AtkinsRéalis has been chose to deliver engineering services for Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 2, the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure has asked the firm to provide design and construction supervision services for the second phase of the programme. In Wales, a new bridge is to be installed at Cathays station as part of ongoing infrastructure upgrade works. The station, on the Merthyr and Rhondda line, will see an ‘Access for All’ (AFA) footbridge put in place. Work on the Midland Main Line upgrade has increased freight usage despite the government’s pause on electrifying the line according to new statistics. The line between Birmingham, Nuneaton, Leicester and Peterborough provides one of the few inland alternatives to routing freight via London.
⚡Energy
Meanwhile, in the energy sector, new figures suggest that Scotland, the Midlands and Yorkshire are fuelling the UK’s £105bn net zero economy with thousands of jobs also being brought to these areas. At Sizewell C, AtkinsRéalis has been appointed to a wide-ranging professional services framework, the agreement covers an initial five‑year term with the option to extend for a further five years. In Scotland, Scottish Hydro has kicked off a £7.4bn contractor framework race to help deliver its expanding high-voltage network investment programme across the country.
🚗 Roads
Contractors for the dualling of the A9 in Scotland are being sought on a £1.9bn framework, the successful companies will work on the final 58mile stretch of the A9 dualling programme from Perth to Inverness. The Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has said a new Tees crossing is at least 12 years away, because of an estimated £700m cost for any new A19 road. He has said that the Government would need to fund the scheme but “that’s not happening any time soon”. In North Yorkshire the £83.5m Kex Gill bypass is set to open next month. The new 2.5 mile section of the A59 bypasses the landslip-prone section of road between Skipton and Blubberhouses. In Greater Manchester, works on the Simister Island M60 motorway upgrade have started. The scheme with an estimated cost of nearly £300m is aiming to reduce congestion and create a safer route through one of the areas busiest motorway junctions.
🏠Property and development
The UK Government is set to pay £1.3bn to help fund Universal Studios new theme park in Bedfordshire. With the park being built at the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks near Bedford, the investment includes almost £500m of public funds going into rail and road infrastructure. Planning permission has been given for a £59m Swadlincote civic and leisure hub, with enabling work due to start this summer. McLaren has won the contract to construct a £1bn data centre campus near the M25, the US developer Corscale’s data centre campus will be near Iver in Buckinghamshire.
💧Water
Bristol water has announced a £66m upgrade to its water network to cut interruptions and boost resilience. The money is being invested in maintaining and upgrading everyday parts of the network including the filters, pipes, tanks and treatment processes. At Exeter Magistrates’ Court, South West Water has been fined £1.85m for contaminating supplies following a Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) prosecution over a Cryptosporidium contamination. Lastly, in Northern Ireland a £23m investment has improved sewer performance across the province. The programme of sewer improvement work being carried out by GEDA Construction and AG Wilson Civil Engineering has included repairs to over 30km of the sewer network from Banbridge to Bushmills and from Donaghadee to Derrylin.