| | Balfour Beatty Rail |
| | ongoing |
| | London |
| | Sep 2003 |
| | Current |
VGC has supplied skilled staff and operatives to Integrated Track Team (formerly Track Partnership) since 2003
At any one time there will be up to 170 VGC team members working for Integrated Track Team (ITT) right across London. They work across the network all year round, from station improvements at Ruislip in the west to track renewal at Upminster in the east.
Shifts are generally overnight during the week, with some blockades and weekend possessions. Most shifts start at 22:00 with handback the next morning in time for the commuter rush.
Our trained and experienced people include protection staff, foremen, platelayers, forklift drivers, slingers and control centre staff. While the range of work is wide, most of the teams concentrate on laying new drainage pipes, building catch-pits, repairing and restoring ballasted track, including replacing worn sleepers, rails, and points and crossings.
Our key influencers on the contract are Damian Walsh, Guillaume Grimbeek, Moyo Gisanrin and Neil Lewis.
Compliments received for the work of our teams on Track Partnership (now ITT) include:
“The gang showed commitment and determination and worked incredibly hard throughout the whole of the bank holiday under hard conditions and time constraints. are a real credit to your company and an asset to ITT.”
Drainage renewals supervisor’s June 2021 email about Opeyemi Osiyemi (site person in charge), Claudio Rusu, Emmanuel Olemgbe, Emeka Okororie, Martin Duru, Chris Ifeanyi, and Damien Walsh
Thank you all for giving your best last weekend… well executed on the ground by your efforts and hard work” and “This was a superb performance from everyone.
Head of track programme
“Thank you. This weekend’s work between High Street Kensington and Earl’s Court presented various new challenges for the ITT to overcome. We completed successfully some 235m of drainage renewals. The site team performed exceptionally to ensure the work was delivered safely and on time. Be proud and well done!”
ITT project manager
London Underground’s night construction manager sent a photo (right) and a message commending Ben Keegan for a site visit to the night workforce at Ealing Common depot in Dec 2020.
VGC is an accredited LU contractor. All VGC personnel provided are accredited to work on the London Underground network and hold the relevant certifications. VGC holds details of competencies of our entire labour force on our extensive database to ensure that labour supplied meets the stringent requirements of London Underground.
We support the Integrated Track Team with mental and physical safety briefings
Labour manager Dan Parkinson and HSQE adviser Ben Keegan have carried out face-fit testing for operatives who are at risk of breathing in dust on site. The tests make sure people are fitting their dust masks correctly, to protect their lungs. Read more about face-fit tests in Ben’s blog.
HSQE manager Richard Wheeler delivers plant-vehicle marshal training to all operatives on the project (not just VGC) to help keep everyone safe around vehicles and plant.
We also arranged and funded presentations by charity State of Mind Sport to people working on the project. The three briefings, scheduled to meet the needs of shift workers, included open and honest discussions about mental health.
Thank you so much. The State of Mind [Sport] presentation was truly a great experience for me personally.
“All the teams from both companies within the Integrated Track Team praised the honestly of the presenters and felt that they all reflected on their own lives and experiences. We also had a few members of our team who contacted us after and asked us to thank the presenters. They had been feeling unhappy with elements in their own lives, and this made them talk and share their problems.”
TfL operational handover manager Integrated Track Team
About Integrated Track Team
ITT (formerly called Track Partnership) is a collaborative partnership between London Underground and Balfour Beatty Rail, which is responsible for maintaining the London Underground network.
The scope includes major track replacement and improvements to crossovers, junctions, sidings and termini. Based at London Underground’s Ruislip depot, ITT delivers the works during engineering hours or longer pre-arranged weekend possessions. Watch a YouTube video of Track Partnership works at Walthamstow.
The London Underground network is the oldest and one of the busiest metropolitan railways in the world. It has 402km of track with 270 stations, and supports around five million passenger journeys each day. Since 2003 London Underground has embarked on a massive track improvement programme throughout its network with the objective of increasing reliability, reducing journey times, achieving higher train speeds and improving passenger ride quality.
