Network Rail, alongside AtkinsRéalis and Global Rail Construction, have been honoured at the National Rail Awards, winning the Outstanding Teamwork Award for their collaboration on the Feltham to Wokingham Resignalling Programme.
Earlier this year, Network Rail and its partners completed a five-year £375 million programme of work to install new state-of-the-art digital signalling technology on the line between Feltham and Wokingham.
The completion of this work saw the previous 1970s signalling equipment brought up to modern standards, 16 level crossings upgraded and 500 pieces of signalling equipment installed which covers 80 miles of railway across Feltham, Hounslow, Shepperton, Twickenham, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Wokingham.
Network Rail also moved control of the signalling equipment between Feltham and Wokingham, and transferred it to Basingstoke into the Rail Operating Centre (ROC). Moving control to the ROC allows signallers to communicate more effectively with each other as they are in the same room rather than remote signal boxes and is more cost efficient to operate.
Now finished, passengers are benefitting from a modern digitised signalling providing more reliable journeys between Reading, London and Guildford, and safer level crossings.
Elsewhere, Jack Roberts and Wayne Norbury, project managers on the Infrastructure Maintenance Team, also walked away with the award for Outstanding Personal Contribution (Management).
Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “I’m delighted we have been recognised at the prestigious National Rail Awards for our Feltham to Wokingham Resignalling Programme, alongside our partners AtkinsRéalis and Global Rail Construction.
“This was a significant five-year £375 million programme of work that was critical for improving the reliability of the line between Feltham and Wokingham, benefitting passengers travelling between Reading, London and Guildford.
“I would like to pay homage to everyone who worked on this scheme and also, once again, thank passengers and local residents for their patience while we upgraded the railway.”
A South Western Railway spokesperson added: “The Feltham and Wokingham Resignalling Programme was a large and complex project that required a tremendous amount of effort by our colleagues at Network Rail, together with their partners.
“We were very pleased to see the project, and all those who took part in it, recognised by our peers at the National Rail Awards.”
