PRESS RELEASE

Friday 12th July 2013

Stafford works have no equal for CEEQUAL

Network Rail’s Stafford Area Improvements Programme (SAIP) is helping set the sustainability standard on major projects, recording one of the highest ever scores in the prestigious CEEQUAL scheme.

CEEQUAL recognizes and celebrates good environmental and social practice in civil engineering and infrastructure projects.

Earlier this year, CEEQUAL’s independent verifier awarded its highest ever interim score of 97.4% to SAIP for work on the Norton Bridge scheme which will remove a bottleneck on the West Coast Main Line – the project proposes construction of a grade-separated junction (flyover) including 10km of new 100mph railway, 12 new bridge structures, four river diversions, major environmental mitigation works and pipeline, road and footpath diversions.

Explained SAIP’s environmental lead Lucie Anderton: “As part of the CEEQUAL scheme, the Programme is assessed on its sustainable credentials across the project lifecycle. This Interim Award recognises the work carried out during the last three years by the design team, comprising Network Rail, Atkins and Temple Group.”

Currently the subject of a Development Consent Order (DCO) due to its national significance, the Norton Bridge scheme was commended by CEEQUAL for:

Active consideration/integration of the principles of sustainable development throughout planning and design
Comprehensive consultation with the local community and other stakeholders actively influencing the final scheme, including rail alignment and road and footpath diversions
Conducting all appropriate environmental surveys, with impacts considered and mitigated
Staging carbon and waste minimisation workshops and implementing recommendations where appropriate
Outline Site Waste Management Plan, which identifies a 98% re-use of excavated materials on-site
Inclusion of a temporary rail link into site to transport construction materials, reducing the impact to the local road network and community
Inclusion of ‘bunding’ in the earthworks design, protecting the local barn owl population by diverting their flight paths. The bunds also have secondary benefits for both noise attenuation and visual screening
Ecological benefits incorporated into the design for the river diversions including an actual increase in channel length, retention of sections of the old channel, creation of new wetland areas and back waters (suitable for nationally scarce invertebrates found on-site)

Also included as part of the programme’s environmental commitment (and forming part of the preparatory works in advance of the Development Consent Order and carried out under separate planning permission), was the relocation of a colony of great crested newts to a new purpose-built nature reserve located at Shallowford House – a Christian retreat operated by the Diocese of Lichfield.

On Wednesday 10th July, the new reserve at Shallowford House proved the ideal setting when CEEQUAL Verifier Rachel Waggett, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther and Infrastructure Projects Regional Director Neil Thompson presented Lucie and members of the Staffordshire Alliance with the CEEQUAL Interim Award.

Rachel Waggett commented: “The importance of performing to high environmental and socially responsible standards on site in a construction project is widely recognised. However, the vital stages of preparation during the briefing and design stage, when strategies are set and decisions made, can often be overlooked. From the very start of this programme the whole team has been fully committed to achieving the highest sustainability standards. I am delighted that this exemplary score of almost 100% reflects their efforts.”

Neil Thompson added: “The programme’s participation in CEEQUAL demonstrates the commitment of Network Rail and its industry partners to a sustainable approach to major projects, right through from feasibility to actual construction. Congratulations to all those involved on the Norton Bridge project, who have turned this commitment into reality.”

Now led by the *Staffordshire Alliance – a partnership of Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail - work on the Stafford Area Improvements Programme including the Norton Bridge project continues, with the ongoing adoption of CEEQUAL right through to project completion.

award presentation - group picture
L-R, Staffordshire Alliance Manager Dominic Baldwin, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther,
Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton and CEEQUAL verifier Rachel Waggett

award presentation group picture 2
CEEQUAL verifier Rachel Waggett (far left) and Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther (second left) present Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton (centre) with the CEEQUAL interim award, watched by Staffordshire Alliance Manager Dominic Baldwin (2nd right) and Alliance Leadership Team member Graeme Castle.

Lucie Anderton with award
Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton with the CEEQUAL interim award at Shallowford House

EDITOR’S NOTES

Stafford Area Improvements Programme

With unprecedented levels of passenger and freight growth on the rail network and the West Coast Main Line full to capacity within less than 10 years, the Staffordshire Area Improvements Programme seeks to remove a major bottleneck through the Stafford area. Once complete, the £250m programme will facilitate the introduction of new timetables between 2015 and 2017 and help to create the capacity to run:

Two extra trains per hour (each direction) between London and the north west of England
One extra fast train per hour (each direction) between Manchester and Birmingham
One extra freight train per hour (each direction) through Stafford

The programme will deliver this through the following three key projects:

Phase 1 – Linespeed improvements between Crewe and Norton Bridge, increasing the line speed on the ‘slow’ lines from 75mph to 100mph. Running from January 2013 to April 2014, these works include modifications to the overhead line equipment and installation of four new signals and will be delivered during weekends and midweek nights, significantly reducing the impact to passengers and lineside residents.
Phase 2 – Stafford resignalling. The installation of a new freight loop and the replacement of life expired signalling, telecoms and power supplies, with the signalling control transferred from the existing Stafford No4 and No5 signal boxes to Rugby, plus the installation of bi-directional signalling for platforms 4, 5 and 6 and an increase in the ‘slow’ line speeds (predominantly used by local/freight services) from 75mph to 100mph between Great Bridgeford (near Norton Bridge) and Stafford. Running from spring 2014 to summer 2015, the majority of these works will also be delivered during weekends and midweek nights.
Phase 3 – Proposed flyover at Norton Bridge. The proposed construction of a grade-separated junction, including 10km of new 100mph railway, 12 new bridge structures, four river diversions, major environmental mitigation works, pipeline, road and footpath diversions and the construction of temporary haul roads. As an infrastructure project of national significance, the scheme is currently subject to a Development Consent Order, which provides the relevant powers and permissions to enable successful delivery of the programme. Upon the granting of the order, main works are scheduled to run from spring 2014 to 2017, with key commissionings in 2016.

*Staffordshire Alliance

The Stafford Area Improvements Programme is being delivered by the Staffordshire Alliance – a partnership of Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail, working as part of a new collaborative contract that will help to transform the delivery of rail infrastructure projects in the UK.

Atkins
Atkins is one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies*, employing some 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe. Over 75 years, from post-war regeneration and the advent of nuclear engineering to high speed rail and the integrated sustainable cities of the future, our people’s breadth and depth of expertise and drive to ask why has allowed us to plan, design and enable some of the world’s most complex projects.

*14th largest global design firm (Engineering News-Record 2012) and the third largest multidisciplinary consultancy in Europe (Svensk Teknik och Design 2012).

Laing O’Rourke
Laing O’Rourke is a globally diverse engineering enterprise with a commitment to delivering Excellence Plus performance, founded on 164 years of experience. It funds, designs, manufactures, constructs and maintains the built environment – providing the facilities to accommodate, educate, employ, transport, care for and sustain communities. www.laingorourke.com

Network Rail
Network Rail is the not for dividend owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations - the largest of which it also manages. Network Rail aims to provide a safe, reliable and efficient rail infrastructure for freight and passenger trains to use. www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk Twitter: @networkrailPR

VolkerRail
VolkerRail is a leading multi-disciplinary railway infrastructure contractor with over 70 years project experience in both the heavy and light rail sectors. In addition to the delivery of major projects, it provides design, manufacture, construction, installation and testing services in the following disciplines - electrification, HV power distribution, signalling, plant, track construction, renewals and maintenance. VolkerRail is part of VolkerWessels UK, a multi-disciplinary civil engineering, construction and rail group with a turnover of £700 million. VolkerWessels UK employs c2,000 staff in six operating companies. The group is the UK arm of Dutch based VolkerWessels, one of the largest construction groups in Europe. www.volkerwessels.co.uk.

CEEQUAL
CEEQUAL is the evidence-based sustainability assessment, rating and awards scheme for civil engineering, infrastructure, landscaping and the public realm and celebrates the achievement of high environmental and social performance.

It aims to deliver improved project specification, design and construction of civil engineering works. CEEQUAL rewards project and contract teams in which clients, designers and contractors go beyond the legal and environmental and social minima to achieve distinctive environmental and social performance in their work. In addition to its use as a rating system to assess performance, it also provides significant influence to project or contract teams as they develop, design and construct their work, as it encourages them to consider the issues in the question set at the most appropriate time.

CEEQUAL was launched in 2003, with more than 196 final and 75 interim Awards achieved, with a further 274 projects and contracts currently being assessed (June 2013). The accumulative civil engineering value of work that has been or is currently being assessed totals in excess of £23 billion. With the longest track record of verified sustainability assessments of civil engineering worldwide in the industry, CEEQUAL takes a very broad view of ‘civil engineering,’ including all infrastructure for modern life and landscaping and work in the public realm.

Visit www.ceequal.com for more information.
`



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PRESS RELEASE Friday 12th July 2013 Stafford works have no equal for CEEQUAL Network Rail’s Stafford Area Improvements Programme (SAIP) is helping set the sustainability standard on major projects, recording one of the highest ever scores in the prestigious CEEQUAL scheme. CEEQUAL recognizes and celebrates good environmental and social practice in civil engineering and infrastructure projects. Earlier this year, CEEQUAL’s independent verifier awarded its highest ever interim score of 97.4% to SAIP for work on the Norton Bridge scheme which will remove a bottleneck on the West Coast Main Line – the project proposes construction of a grade-separated junction (flyover) including 10km of new 100mph railway, 12 new bridge structures, four river diversions, major environmental mitigation works and pipeline, road and footpath diversions. Explained SAIP’s environmental lead Lucie Anderton: “As part of the CEEQUAL scheme, the Programme is assessed on its sustainable credentials across the project lifecycle. This Interim Award recognises the work carried out during the last three years by the design team, comprising Network Rail, Atkins and Temple Group.” Currently the subject of a Development Consent Order (DCO) due to its national significance, the Norton Bridge scheme was commended by CEEQUAL for: Active consideration/integration of the principles of sustainable development throughout planning and design Comprehensive consultation with the local community and other stakeholders actively influencing the final scheme, including rail alignment and road and footpath diversions Conducting all appropriate environmental surveys, with impacts considered and mitigated Staging carbon and waste minimisation workshops and implementing recommendations where appropriate Outline Site Waste Management Plan, which identifies a 98% re-use of excavated materials on-site Inclusion of a temporary rail link into site to transport construction materials, reducing the impact to the local road network and community Inclusion of ‘bunding’ in the earthworks design, protecting the local barn owl population by diverting their flight paths. The bunds also have secondary benefits for both noise attenuation and visual screening Ecological benefits incorporated into the design for the river diversions including an actual increase in channel length, retention of sections of the old channel, creation of new wetland areas and back waters (suitable for nationally scarce invertebrates found on-site) Also included as part of the programme’s environmental commitment (and forming part of the preparatory works in advance of the Development Consent Order and carried out under separate planning permission), was the relocation of a colony of great crested newts to a new purpose-built nature reserve located at Shallowford House – a Christian retreat operated by the Diocese of Lichfield. On Wednesday 10th July, the new reserve at Shallowford House proved the ideal setting when CEEQUAL Verifier Rachel Waggett, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther and Infrastructure Projects Regional Director Neil Thompson presented Lucie and members of the Staffordshire Alliance with the CEEQUAL Interim Award. Rachel Waggett commented: “The importance of performing to high environmental and socially responsible standards on site in a construction project is widely recognised. However, the vital stages of preparation during the briefing and design stage, when strategies are set and decisions made, can often be overlooked. From the very start of this programme the whole team has been fully committed to achieving the highest sustainability standards. I am delighted that this exemplary score of almost 100% reflects their efforts.” Neil Thompson added: “The programme’s participation in CEEQUAL demonstrates the commitment of Network Rail and its industry partners to a sustainable approach to major projects, right through from feasibility to actual construction. Congratulations to all those involved on the Norton Bridge project, who have turned this commitment into reality.” Now led by the Staffordshire Alliance – a partnership of Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail - work on the Stafford Area Improvements Programme including the Norton Bridge project continues, with the ongoing adoption of CEEQUAL right through to project completion. L-R, Staffordshire Alliance Manager Dominic Baldwin, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther,* Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton and CEEQUAL verifier Rachel Waggett CEEQUAL verifier Rachel Waggett (far left) and Network Rail’s Route Managing Director (LNW) Dyan Crowther (second left) present Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton (centre) with the CEEQUAL interim award, watched by Staffordshire Alliance Manager Dominic Baldwin (2nd right) and Alliance Leadership Team member Graeme Castle. Environmental Manager Lucie Anderton with the CEEQUAL interim award at Shallowford House EDITOR’S NOTES Stafford Area Improvements Programme With unprecedented levels of passenger and freight growth on the rail network and the West Coast Main Line full to capacity within less than 10 years, the Staffordshire Area Improvements Programme seeks to remove a major bottleneck through the Stafford area. Once complete, the £250m programme will facilitate the introduction of new timetables between 2015 and 2017 and help to create the capacity to run: Two extra trains per hour (each direction) between London and the north west of England One extra fast train per hour (each direction) between Manchester and Birmingham One extra freight train per hour (each direction) through Stafford The programme will deliver this through the following three key projects: Phase 1 – Linespeed improvements between Crewe and Norton Bridge, increasing the line speed on the ‘slow’ lines from 75mph to 100mph. Running from January 2013 to April 2014, these works include modifications to the overhead line equipment and installation of four new signals and will be delivered during weekends and midweek nights, significantly reducing the impact to passengers and lineside residents. Phase 2 – Stafford resignalling. The installation of a new freight loop and the replacement of life expired signalling, telecoms and power supplies, with the signalling control transferred from the existing Stafford No4 and No5 signal boxes to Rugby, plus the installation of bi-directional signalling for platforms 4, 5 and 6 and an increase in the ‘slow’ line speeds (predominantly used by local/freight services) from 75mph to 100mph between Great Bridgeford (near Norton Bridge) and Stafford. Running from spring 2014 to summer 2015, the majority of these works will also be delivered during weekends and midweek nights. Phase 3 – Proposed flyover at Norton Bridge. The proposed construction of a grade-separated junction, including 10km of new 100mph railway, 12 new bridge structures, four river diversions, major environmental mitigation works, pipeline, road and footpath diversions and the construction of temporary haul roads. As an infrastructure project of national significance, the scheme is currently subject to a Development Consent Order, which provides the relevant powers and permissions to enable successful delivery of the programme. Upon the granting of the order, main works are scheduled to run from spring 2014 to 2017, with key commissionings in 2016. Staffordshire Alliance The Stafford Area Improvements Programme is being delivered by the Staffordshire Alliance – a partnership of Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail, working as part of a new collaborative contract that will help to transform the delivery of rail infrastructure projects in the UK. Atkins* Atkins is one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing some 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe. Over 75 years, from post-war regeneration and the advent of nuclear engineering to high speed rail and the integrated sustainable cities of the future, our people’s breadth and depth of expertise and drive to ask why has allowed us to plan, design and enable some of the world’s most complex projects. 14th largest global design firm (Engineering News-Record 2012) and the third largest multidisciplinary consultancy in Europe (Svensk Teknik och Design 2012). Laing O’Rourke Laing O’Rourke is a globally diverse engineering enterprise with a commitment to delivering Excellence Plus performance, founded on 164 years of experience. It funds, designs, manufactures, constructs and maintains the built environment – providing the facilities to accommodate, educate, employ, transport, care for and sustain communities. www.laingorourke.com Network Rail Network Rail is the not for dividend owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations - the largest of which it also manages. Network Rail aims to provide a safe, reliable and efficient rail infrastructure for freight and passenger trains to use. www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk Twitter: @networkrailPR VolkerRail VolkerRail is a leading multi-disciplinary railway infrastructure contractor with over 70 years project experience in both the heavy and light rail sectors. In addition to the delivery of major projects, it provides design, manufacture, construction, installation and testing services in the following disciplines - electrification, HV power distribution, signalling, plant, track construction, renewals and maintenance. VolkerRail is part of VolkerWessels UK, a multi-disciplinary civil engineering, construction and rail group with a turnover of £700 million. VolkerWessels UK employs c2,000 staff in six operating companies. The group is the UK arm of Dutch based VolkerWessels, one of the largest construction groups in Europe. www.volkerwessels.co.uk. CEEQUAL CEEQUAL is the evidence-based sustainability assessment, rating and awards scheme for civil engineering, infrastructure, landscaping and the public realm and celebrates the achievement of high environmental and social performance. It aims to deliver improved project specification, design and construction of civil engineering works. CEEQUAL rewards project and contract teams in which clients, designers and contractors go beyond the legal and environmental and social minima to achieve distinctive environmental and social performance in their work. In addition to its use as a rating system to assess performance, it also provides significant influence to project or contract teams as they develop, design and construct their work, as it encourages them to consider the issues in the question set at the most appropriate time. CEEQUAL was launched in 2003, with more than 196 final and 75 interim Awards achieved, with a further 274 projects and contracts currently being assessed (June 2013). The accumulative civil engineering value of work that has been or is currently being assessed totals in excess of £23 billion. With the longest track record of verified sustainability assessments of civil engineering worldwide in the industry, CEEQUAL takes a very broad view of ‘civil engineering,’ including all infrastructure for modern life and landscaping and work in the public realm. Visit www.ceequal.com for more information. `


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