🚉 Rail
In this week’s rail news HS2 has launched a market engagement exercise for a potential £1.24Bn package of interim maintenance contracts linked to the high speed rail project. The contracts would cover repairs, maintenance, land management, security and infrastructure upkeep on assets delivered under the main civils works, running from late 2027 to 2037. HS2 says the exercise is part of preparations for changes to the project’s delivery model under the government backed reset programme and is seeking feedback from suppliers ahead of a formal procurement process later this year.
In other rail news, VolkerRail has completed major works to install the first set of switches and crossings on the Midland Main Line for the Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange project in Hertfordshire. The development, owned by Segro, will create a major new rail freight hub connecting the Midland Main Line to the SRFI.
🛫Ports and Airports
London Luton Airport has opened a new consolidation centre as part of an £11.5M refurbishment programme, creating up to 30 local jobs and improving the way retail goods are delivered across the airport. The facility, based in a former Monarch Airlines hangar, will streamline deliveries to more than 50 shops and restaurants using lower carbon vehicles and is part of a wider redevelopment expected to create up to 150 jobs in total.
Heathrow Airport says the cost of preparing its planning application for a third runway is expected to exceed £700M, potentially rising to £800M by the time it is submitted in 2027 or 2028. The spending is largely driven by legal fees, surveys and environmental and traffic modelling as part of the development consent process for the £49Bn expansion project.
⚡Energy
Hitachi Energy and Volvo Construction Equipment have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on developing zero emission construction sites by combining electric construction machinery with clean power supply, energy management and system integration solutions. The partnership aims to help the construction industry tackle decarbonisation as demand grows for lower emission and more productive operations. With stricter environmental regulations and planning requirements coming into force, the collaboration will focus on creating fully integrated systems that connect electric equipment, power infrastructure and energy management to support the transition to cleaner construction sites.
UK battery storage developer Eelpower Energy has acquired the 50MW/100MWh Stoneworthy battery energy storage project in Devon from Renewable Energy Systems. The project, located near the Pyworthy substation, is due to start construction in 2027 with operations expected in 2028, and will add to Eelpower Energy’s growing pipeline as it targets over 1GW of grid scale storage. The company said the acquisition supports investment in infrastructure needed for a cleaner, more flexible and more resilient electricity system in Great Britain.
🚗 Roads
National Highways will invest more than £50M in the next phase of major repairs to St George’s Bridge on the M5 in North Somerset, including concrete strengthening, bearing replacements and resurfacing works. The project, starting in June, will be carried out while keeping traffic moving and is designed to extend the bridge’s lifespan, improve reliability and reduce the risk of future unplanned closures.
National Highways has issued a pipeline notice for a £20M specialist technical and professional services framework for the Lower Thames Crossing project. The contract is expected to run from January 2027 for six years, with a possible two-year extension, and will cover consultancy services across roads, structures, operations, environment and health and safety ahead of a formal tender expected in July 2026.
🏠Property and development
Mace has secured a £250M contract to deliver a major laboratory expansion at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, forming the Main Laboratory Building for plant and microbial science research. Designed by BDP and developed with The Sainsbury Laboratory, the 21,000 square metre scheme will include extensive lab and collaborative space, with construction due to start in 2028.
Cambridgeshire County Council has launched a £150M procurement for the Cambourne to Cambridge guided busway, designed to improve journey times and capacity across the region. The scheme will deliver a segregated bus route with stops, bridges, junction works, and a travel hub, and is expected to run from 2027 to 2030 under a two stage NEC4 contract.
💧Water
New infrastructure has been installed at Over Kellet and Nether Kellet Wastewater Treatment Works near Lancaster, including chemical dosing equipment designed to improve water quality in nearby Nether Beck. Delivered by bWGM for United Utilities, the project reduces phosphorus levels in treated wastewater using ferric dosing and pH correction, helping improve the long term ecological health of the local environment.
In the world of water, Anglian Water and the @one Alliance have completed a £7.8M upgrade at Raunds Water Recycling Centre in Northamptonshire, improving ammonia compliance and tackling the emerging contaminant cypermethrin. The project is one of the first of its kind in the UK and introduces new treatment processes designed to meet tighter environmental standards and strengthen long-term water quality protection.