Network Rail awards contracts for key Crossrail works in West London

Wednesday 5 Dec 2012

Network Rail awards contracts for key Crossrail works in West London

Region & Route:: | Wales & Western: Western; | Wales & Western

Network Rail has awarded two contracts for works in west London that will deliver important infrastructure improvements for the Crossrail programme, allowing greater numbers of passenger and freight trains to run more reliably once the new rail link opens in 2018.

Carillion has been awarded the main civils contract to build a new, larger flyover at Stockley in Hillingdon, allowing Crossrail services to operate to and from Heathrow. The flyover will be built in the very busy Heathrow Airport Junction area, which services trains to and from Heathrow as well as along the Great Western main line (GWML). A new single track viaduct for all trains from Heathrow towards London will be built, ensuring that trains will be able to join the branch to Heathrow without delaying - or being delayed by - fast trains to the west.

BAM has secured the civils contract to construct a new dive-under (a rail underpass structure) and associated track work at Acton Freight Yard in Ealing. Currently freight trains entering and leaving the yard need to cross mainline passenger tracks – the new dive-under will allow freight trains to access the yard without affecting passenger trains, improving reliability on passenger services and increasing capacity for freight traffic.

Both infrastructure improvements will be essential once Crossrail services begin in 2018 when even more trains will travel along the GWML.

Carillion and BAM will both begin work from the beginning of next year, with work due for completion for both projects in 2016.

Jorge Mendonca, Crossrail programme director, Network Rail, said: “These contract awards are an important step forward in the delivery of the Crossrail surface works. The new Acton diveunder and Stockley flyover will both deliver benefits for passenger and freight services and are among a number of infrastructure improvements we are making as part of the Crossrail project. The works are being carefully planned to minimise the disruption to passenger and freight services.”

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network, The work includes upgrading 43 miles of track, improving 27 stations from Maidenhead in the west to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.

Notes to editors

About Crossrail
Crossrail will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 13-mile tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5m people within 45 minutes commuting distance of London's key business districts. When it opens from 2018, Crossrail will provide new transport links with the Tube, Thameslink, National Rail, DLR and London Overground.

Network Rail delivering Crossrail
Network Rail is a key partner in Crossrail and is making significant investment in upgrading the network around London to deliver it. This complements Network Rail’s other work to increase capacity and improve performance across Britain.

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network. Its work will integrate Crossrail with the national rail network, delivering faster, more frequent trains into central London from the east and west. The work includes upgrading 43 miles of track, redeveloping 27 stations, and renewing 20 bridges. Network Rail will do all of this on an active operational railway, delivering vital upgrade works whilst minimising disruption to train services.

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About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

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