Birse Rail is working with Stobart Rail, part of Stobart Group, to oversee the design and construction management of a new railway station at London Southend Airport.
London Southend Airport is a long-established regional airport for South East Essex and is the Eastern Gateway to London. Stobart Group, the UK’s leading provider of multimodal transport and logistics solutions, acquired the airport in December 2008 and is committed to making improvements in order to better service the 2012 Olympics. The new railway station will provide airport passengers with fast and frequent train services direct to Stratford (for Docklands and Canary Wharf) and to central London’s Liverpool Street Station.
Birse Rail was originally engaged by Stobart Rail in March 2009 to manage the design and approvals process under a management contract. This new contract involves Birse Rail acting as principal contractor working in partnership with Stobart Rail to deliver various phases of the development. The building works will include construction of an architecturally striking steel clad station building, two 12-car platforms, a ticket hall and passenger welfare facilities as well as an enclosed bridge link, large glazed entrance canopy with all associated M&E platform shelters and CCTV/CIS. The scope of works also encompasses embankment widening, renewal of OHLE, modifications to signalling, realignment of the track, fencing, drainage and services.
Works are expected to be completed by the end of July 2010.
Paul Copeland, Managing Director of Birse Rail said: “This contract award is great news for the business. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Stobart Group to deliver this important enhancement to Southend Airport, which is without doubt a major asset of the Thames Gateway Regeneration Zone.”
Pictured: Artists impression of the new Station at Southend Airport.