11 October 2011

Costain has secured its first project within a competitive tender framework with Northumbrian Water to construct a duplicate rail crossing, in Northumberland.

The scheme will provide back up to an existing water main and prevent disruptions to water supply that could affect around more than 5,000 homes and businesses in the area.

The main work involves constructing a tunnel, eight metres deep, underneath the East Coast Main Line to install a steel sleeve which will house a 450mm diameter Polyethylene Pressure Main. The existing 12” under-track crossing will also be relined with a HPPE liner. Trenchless technology will be used to carry out this work.

The work will reduce the likelihood of a burst water main underneath the railway line, which would require permission from Network Rail to access their land in order to repair it, as well as any potential compensation for any disruption to the East Coast Main Line.

Ben McCormac, Project Manager for the scheme, said:  “We are delighted to have been awarded our first contract under the Infrastructure Framework agreement with Northumbrian Water. We secured the work through a rigorous and structured approach to identifying and assessing the risks and opportunities. This would have been a much more demanding exercise had we not had the support from our supply chain combined with the team’s previous water experience.”

 

Ends