shortlands junction
Client: Railtrack (Network Rail)
Date: 2000 - 2003
Project Value: £80m
Timescale: 18 months
Services Provided:
- Project Management
- Programming & Risk Management
- Statutory Consents Management
- Environmental Management
- Environmental Services inc. Environmental Risk Management
- Design & Technical Management
- Communications
Project Overview:
Railtrack had a commitment to Eurostar to significantly reduce the train path time between Waterloo International Station and Fawkham Junction for Eurostar Services using the new Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). In order to achieve this, they had identified that a series of enhancements were required along this route, particularly through South London. These enhancements ranged in size with the most significant being at Shortlands.
Shortlands Junction, as an at-grade junction, represented a major challenge for train planning as well as representing a significant safety issue. The combination of inter-continental services from the Channel Tunnel and domestic services using the junction made the commitment to Eurostar unachieveable.
Railtrack’s priority was to remodel the junction and the chosen solution was to provide grade separation at this point.
Delivery:
Schofield Lothian was commissioned by Railtrack’s Southern Region to undertake feasibility, budgeting, design and procurement of the CTRL Enhancement Works, which included the significant element, the grade separation of Shortlands Junction.
We deployed a multi-disciplined team ranging from Project Director through to Document Controller and embraced such disciplines as Civil Engineering, Signalling, Power, Communications and Track as well as Programming and Environmental Services. Support was given to the team by Laing in the form of commercial resources due to a prior commitment to that company by Railtrack. Interface issues were considerable and the management of a variety of stakeholders and internal departments within Railtrack represented a huge challenge just to gain approval to the proposed solutions.
Before work could commence at Shortlands, the project required a ‘permanent land take’ and therefore a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) was needed to secure the correct permissions from government. If the project was to remain on schedule and the target commission date for CTRL was to be met it was vital that these permissions were secured within 12 months.
Schofield Lothian took responsibility for communication with all relevant stakeholders that enabled us to secure the Transport and Works Order permissions within the record time of 12 months, unprecedented in the rail industry.
Following the successful completion of the client brief, Schofield Lothian was retained to provide continued technical support, communications and environmental services.
Benefit to the Client:
Our professional management and planning ensured that the successful project delivered a more efficient handling of services through the Shortlands junction, decreasing congestion and enabling Network Rail to supply a much improved service to operators and the travelling public.
If you would like to find out more about this project, then please contact us.
