| | Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering |
| | £18 million |
| | Central London |
| | May 2009 |
| | Apr 2013 |
VGC supplied a range of personnel to support the challenging project to redevelop Blackfriars bridge.
Staff included engineers, commercial and administrative staff and specialist skilled personnel such as crane staff, section foremen, steel supervisors, carpenters, steel fixers, concrete operatives and logistics support staff.
Everyone supplied for Network Rail jobs has all necessary competencies for working on the railway. VGC’s database ensures certification and skills are up to date.
Network Rail is spending £6 billion on major improvements over the next few years to relieve passenger congestion on the Thameslink line. Improvements include the introduction of new longer trains and significant enhancements to the infrastructure.
One of the major investments was at Blackfriars Bridge where the Thameslink service crosses the River Thames. This was one of Thameslink’s worst bottlenecks with space for only one double track railway line across the bridge which was built in 1888 to cater for a very different travelling public.
The £500 million contract awarded to Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering involved the widening and strengthening of the bridge to accommodate an additional double track railway line. The widening of the bridge utilised some of the piers of the dismantled 1864 bridge just upstream of the current bridge. The wider structure also incorporates the first railway station to span the Thames with new ticket halls on both sides of the river.
