| | Atkins |
| | £9.5 million |
| | East Kent |
| | Nov 2013 |
| | Oct 2015 |
In November 2013, VGC Rail Projects was awarded the contract to deliver the civil engineering scope of the works for this important railway upgrade project.
Our team met the Easter commissioning date for civils, and the project was closed out within 10 weeks of finishing: a testament to a very positive relationship with the client.
The works include approximately 33 km of cable route installation and upgrade throughout the site for power, data and telecoms cables. The route works incorporate twelve under-track and four under-road crossings.
VGC will also provide foundation bases for signals, locations, telephones and principal supply points and associated walkways, steps, hard standings, handrails and lay down areas. Other works will include seven level crossing upgrades. Civil engineering works will involve extensive piled foundations throughout the site.
Our client Atkins has several times thanked the team for their work.
- Oct 2014: Atkins’ site manager emailed: “VGC should use this location base hardstand as an example of how things should be constructed correctly: to date this is the best yet. Thanks to the team for their hard work.”
- Nov 2014 – Ben Futter, Nigel Gardiner, Andy Beattie, Cosmin Simion, Ralph Richards, Dan Rickward, Alan Orpwood, Arthur Orpwood and Lee Brookstein: “The gangs were superb in getting the three Sole Street LOC bases across the line.”
- Nov 2014 Atkins site manager emailed: “Please pass on to your teams a well done and thank you for an excellent weekend where, amongst many other milestones, we managed to install an incredible 65km of cable. Despite some serious challenges, fantastic weekend by all.”
- Dec 2014 – Ralph Richards, Dan Richward, Alan Orpwood, Arthur Orpwood, Lee Brookstein – “Another good job from Ralph Richards’ gang”
- Dec 2014 – Luke Silver was nominated for a SAG (Safety Action Group) award.
- Jan 2015 – Shane Jupp, James Piercy, Joshua Cormack, Steven Hodges won a SAG award for excellent and safe work, particularly protecting the public.
- Feb 2015 – Jedd Carey was nominated for a SAG award.
- Apr 2015 – Paddy Collins won an award for his contribution to health and safety in the Gas House Road compound.
- Sep 2015 – Paul Martin won a SAG award for site safety and helpfulness to others on and around the project.
The award of the contract followed the successful delivery of other contracts for Atkins, including the civil engineering component of the re-signalling schemes at Stourbridge in the East Midlands, and Farnham in Surrey.
About the East Kent Re-signalling phase 2 project
This project was the second stage of the overall East Kent re-signalling programme which will concentrate signalling control of a significant part of Network Rail’s Kent route into the East Kent signalling centre located at Gillingham.
The project aimed to improve asset condition, provide capacity and capability enhancements and deliver operational savings and improved network integration within the area. It is part of Network Rail’s investment programme to deliver a more reliable and efficient rail service throughout the UK.
This complex multidisciplinary project won the 2014 Network Rail Partnership Award for Best Collaboration. The Partnership Awards judges noted that “their approach and collaborative working is achieving great results”. The project also won an Innovation award at the 2015 Institution of Civil Engineering South East England Engineering Excellence awards, for the installation of the 900 tonne subway slide during Easter 2014.
