Rail
At UK Power Networks Services we are keenly aware that a reliable and progressive rail network is only as good as its electrical infrastructure. This means that any individual rail network has to be operated and maintained by an organisation with the necessary know-how, relevant sector experience and flexibility.
Our expertise ranges from high voltage engineering and traction supplies through to station services and platform lighting for the full spectrum of rail infrastructure.
Our work for the UK rail industry takes in high speed, mainline railways, London Underground, light railways and tram; with responsibility for Health & Safety, overviews and power upgrades.
Our credentials for electrical rail infrastructure services are well established, and include the landmark construction of Section 1 and 2 of the high speed railway linking London and the Channel Tunnel (High Speed 1); a £130 million joint venture contract with Network Rail to upgrade power supplies on the Southern Region and project works on the Thameslink Programme; upgrades to the electrical power systems on the London Underground Victoria Line; the mechanical and electrical design, procurement, installation and construction work of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Lewisham extension; and maintaining the electrical infrastructure for the 28km Croydon Tramlink.
As an integrated company we can manage your connections and power supplies and we are able to provide advice on export metering solutions to meet your requirements for locomotive regenerative braking applications.
We can also develop sustainable solutions to increase the value of any establishment and utilise energy from all sources. We will undertake an energy audit of your rail infrastructure facility and provide a report with our recommendations to meet your carbon and energy reduction objectives.
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Our full range of electrical infrastructure services divide into two broad areas:
Electrical traction services:
- We manage the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) connections and undertake the contestable elements of 400V to 400kV transmission systems
- Third rail (33KV - 750v DC) systems
- Overhead catenary (25KV-0-25KV) systems
- Electrical Track Equipment (ETE) works
- SCADA
- High Voltage (HV) and Low Voltage (LV) distribution systems to tunnel essential services, stations, signalling and point heating
- Operation and maintenance
Design, construction and maintenance of stations, mechanical and electrical services:
- LV station lighting and power
- Fire alarms and control systems
- Communications wiring
Core certificates and licences that we hold:
- BS-EN-ISO 9001:2008
- BS-EN-ISO 14001:2004
- BS-OHSAS 18001:2007
- Network Rail Principal Contractor’s Licence
UK Power Networks Services is committed to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the rail industry and we look forward to forming strong partnerships with our customers.
We balance cost-effective engineering with the financial, social, political and environmental requirements of any given project.
This holistic approach enables us to deliver more efficient and cost-effective services to our customers, their customers, and the wider community.
We have a comprehensive portfolio of critical electrical infrastructure projects within the UK and in all cases we are able to take care of the smallest details, leaving you free to consider the wider picture.
We believe in thorough planning and can allocate our skills on a one-off basis, or as part of a full turnkey package. On large, complex projects our planning services include site surveys, design and feasibility studies.
Once you have established your priorities with us, we will build safely and without compromise, we are aware of the importance of build quality and minimising downstream maintenance costs where practicable.
As your design partner for any UK rail project we have the experience and expertise to provide the full range of electrical infrastructure services, from low voltage (LV) and high voltage (HV) contracting, to the full whole life asset management and operation of business-critical energy networks.
We can apply our specialist design, construction and maintenance skills to develop a bespoke service that powerfully delivers on the operational requirements of any rail transport project.
This expertise extends across both the private and public sectors and we are currently active in airports, defence, rail transport and commercial buildings. As lead or joint partner we’ll bring a commercial rigor to any project and ensure your operational parameters are fully incorporated into our design.
We can call upon an impressive portfolio of strategic infrastructure projects to demonstrate our firm commitment to the UK rail industry.
One such project was the design and upgrade of power supplies for the Victoria Line, undertaken by us as part of a consortium alongside other delivery partners. The power upgrades were to facilitate the introduction of new trains to replace the existing rolling stock, and to provide capacity for more frequent train services.
The project required a new 132,000 volt grid supply point, extensive 22,000 volt and 11,000 volt feeder cabling, and the upgrade of seven substations to provide the extra power required.
This also necessitated civil construction and alteration works to accommodate the two new grid transformers and 18 new transformer / rectifiers in existing buildings, whilst at the same time ensuring continuity of power supplies to the railway.
UK Power Networks Services Powerlink is responsible for managing, operating, and maintaining the electrical power network for the Underground as part of a consortium, in which UK Power Networks Services is the lead shareholder.
Our expertise in electricity network operation, construction management, and power equipment is now providing an efficient and reliable power system for this famous underground railway system – and taking it into the future.
Our shared objectives are to:
- Provide a safe, accessible network today and into the future
- Manage safety risks to the public, our staff, and all railway workers
- Deliver a reliable power system and renew, replace and upgrade where necessary
We completed over seven years’ work on crucial power supply infrastructure for the high speed rail link between London and the Channel Tunnel, bringing both Paris and Brussels more than 20 minutes closer.
Within this flagship project, totalling £5.2 billion in all, we provided the financing arrangements for all of the electrical power assets along the 68-mile link and has also been responsible for the design and construction of traction and auxiliary power systems.
Our design team was able to build-in superior reliability and also reduce costs of construction by almost £20 million. In addition to the technical and commercial risk assessment work, we also undertook environmental studies to mitigate the overall impact of each installation, as the majority of the apparatus locations were on ‘greenfield’ sites.
We have now entered a new phase, operating and maintaining the power infrastructure for the next 50 years, deploying a core team of engineers who will monitor the electrical performance of the entire link from a control room which also serves as an emergency back-up to the main track control centre at Ashford.
We have also delivered:
- HV and LV distribution systems to essential services for tunnels, stations, signalling and point heating
- Trackside autotransformer stations
- Load balancing equipment
- Static VAR Compensation (SVC) equipment
Taking a long-term view of all infrastructure projects is at the heart of our Risk Transference strategy.
Our position as an experienced Asset Stewardship organisation means we can offer the UK rail industry the type of Asset Management strategies that ensure the largest commercial centres in the UK stay powered up.
To help extend the active life of lower duty assets, reduce costs and place fewer constraints upon the operational life of infrastructure, we use non invasive asset monitoring techniques and trend modelling. We also have the benefit of virtual value chains built from our experience in intelligent asset management. This enables us to accurately predict asset failure rates and undertake replacement with adequate margins for critical assets.
We also manage risks associated with the condition of assets that cannot easily be examined, such as underground cables and large transformers. Our knowledge of cable and plant performance, coupled with innovative technologies for performance monitoring, enables us to accept output based agreements on performance.
At UK Power Networks Services we can deliver low carbon energy solutions that help meet your carbon reduction targets cost-effectively. These solutions are built on a firm platform of experience across the UK in industrial and commercial as well as public sectors.
As your rail power partner, we can develop solutions to increase the value of any establishment and utilise energy from all sources. We can undertake an energy audit and measurement of your rail infrastructure facility and provide a report of our recommendations to meet your carbon and energy reduction objectives.
We’ll implement the solution through our project engineers or partners, guaranteeing the identification of energy and carbon savings. We can also provide advice on a range of stand alone and fully integrated energy solutions including solar, thermal and photovoltaic power, combined heat and power and micro combined heat and power.
In conclusion, we can offer advice and guidance on supply side requirements as well as delivering solutions through our extensive networks of supply partners.
People are our most valuable asset and we invest in a whole range of programmes to develop and nurture the talent we have at our disposal.
We have been awarded Investors in People (IIP) status demonstrating our commitment to employees and also helping us attract the high calibre, talented people upon which our future depends.
We look to our ‘High Performing People’ to thus deliver a superior service to our customers and create more innovative solutions for our business.
Our training and development programmes include communication skills, management and leadership, as well as the apprenticeship and technical training courses so vital to our organisation.
We recognise a potential skills gap as long-term employees approach retirement and insufficient numbers of suitably qualified young people become available to replace them. We are working hard to develop links with schools, colleges and universities to engage with students to improve their understanding of our business and the career opportunities that are available to them. Through our ‘Bright Young Things’ workshops, aimed at the 13-14 age group, we encourage them to choose the right subjects to enable them to follow a career in electrical engineering. Other interactive workshops, events and structured work placements enable young people to get first experience of the exciting career opportunities we offer.
We offer apprenticeship programmes as well as opportunities for engineering graduates. In 2008 a 30-month Engineer Development Programme was introduced that enables participants to study for a Foundation Degree in Power Distribution Engineering, or an equivalent qualification, on a part time basis whilst receiving ‘in-house’ training in our business.
Power upgrades - a boost for commuters
We have completed a £130million joint venture contract with Network Rail to upgrade power supplies on the Southern Region. This was to accommodate the different power characteristics of new trains introduced to replace life-expired slam door rolling stock.
The work had to take place while allowing millions of commuters to continue their daily journeys to and from the capital. The contract was one of four placed by Network Rail, and was the most complex, since it covered the busy London suburban network with the highest level of potential logistical problems.
The programme was completed in three years, and included the installation of three new substations, 24 substation upgrades, 100km of 33kV HV feeder cabling, together with depot works at Clapham, Victoria, Wimbledon and Selhurst.
The contract was completed on time and within budget, and we won safety awards for its accident-free operations. Ongoing close relations with Network Rail’s Southern Region have already earned additional upgrade work.
Thameslink Programme – Ludgate Cellars substation and cable diversions
London is currently witnessing the transformation of the Thameslink rail route, the single biggest enhancement on Network Rail’s infrastructure, which is comprised of 140 miles of railway, stretching from Bedford in the north to Brighton on the south coast. The route is one of the very few in the UK that requires a changeover from alternating current (AC) overhead traction supply in the north to direct current (DC) third rail traction supply in the south.
The principal objective of the Thameslink Programme is to increase passenger flow to and from central London by introducing more frequent and longer trains. In order to achieve this, a new substation had to be built. The location for the new substation, which is close to Blackfriars station, was strategically selected to ensure safe transition of passenger trains from AC overhead line supply to DC third rail supply.
In June 2008 we were awarded a contract for the works, including survey, design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and putting Ludgate Cellars substation into operational service. To facilitate the works, we developed and co-ordinated a fully integrated schedule, defining construction and test strategies that accommodated critical milestones within the Thameslink Programme without disrupting the operational railway.
Although the programme endured a twelve week recovery challenge at the outset, the lost time was recovered resulting in the transformer/rectifiers being switched on in July 2009 to enable testing to commence. The entire facility was put in beneficial operation two weeks ahead of schedule in November 2009.
High Speed 1
We are responsible for the design, financing, project management, construction and ongoing maintenance of the traction and auxiliary power supply systems for the UK’s only high speed railway - Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), now called High Speed 1.
As well as providing the financing arrangements for all of the electrical power assets along the 68-mile link, we were, during the seven year build phase, responsible for the design and construction of traction and auxiliary power systems for this £5.2bn project. In this time, the company installed four 400kV National Grid connections and 59 substations operating at 25kV or 11kV and managed the critical interface between the national transmission grid, the public Distribution Network Operator, and the connection serving the overhead catenary system.
Far from ending its involvement the company has entered a new phase, now that the trains are running, to operate and maintain the power infrastructure for 50 years. A core team of engineers moved from their temporary offices alongside the track outside Gravesend into a new facility close by which they share with the Network Rail subsidiary CTRL UK.
The team will monitor the electrical performance of the entire link from a control room which will also serve as an emergency back-up to the main track control centre at Ashford.
We have also delivered:
- HV and LV distribution systems to essential services for tunnels, stations, signalling and point heating
- Trackside autotransformer stations
- Load balancing equipment
- Static VAR Compensation (SVC) equipment
Its responsibilities have included supervising studies into the effect of CTRL’s electrical traction load on system voltage unbalance and harmonic distortion, and for the implementation of the necessary load balance and harmonic filters that are also part of the assets to be maintained by UK Power Networks Services under the operation & maintenance contract.
Our highly skilled design team was able to build in better reliability and reduce costs of construction by almost £20m.
In addition to the technical and commercial risk assessment work associated with the design, we also undertook environmental studies to mitigate the overall impact of each installation, as the majority of the apparatus locations are on greenfield sites.
UK Power Networks Services Powerlink
In August 1998 a 30-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract was signed in order to operate, maintain, finance and renew the London Underground power distribution system.
UK Power Networks Services Powerlink is jointly owned, bringing together the expertise of UK Power Networks Services, Balfour Beatty and ABB. The company is responsible for the distribution of high voltage electricity supplies to London Underground's 270 stations and over 400km of track. It also maintains and operates a power station for the provision of emergency power in the event of a major failure of the National Grid.
Both UK Power Networks Services and UK Power Networks Services Powerlink have an integrated safety, quality and environmental management system certificated against OHSAS 18001, ISO9001 and ISO14001 respectively.
Working in close partnership with London Underground, we have shown that private enterprise can improve quality and reduce operating costs without compromising safety. The success of the project demonstrates that PFI and PPP transport initiatives can provide London with a transport system of which it can be proud.
Victoria Line Upgrade (VLU)
UK Power Networks Services Powerlink is responsible for a £125million fast-track contract to upgrade electrical power systems on the Victoria Line in readiness for new rolling stock and more frequent services. This is part of London Underground’s programme of improvements across the capital’s transport infrastructure.
Awarded in March 2007 following an initial five months advance procurement phase, the contract is making impressive progress, despite the challenges presented by working on a “live” transport artery which carries more than 165 million passengers every year with trains running at two minute intervals at peak times.
We are responsible for undertaking refurbishment works at 14 substations (including civil works) as well as extensive reinforcement of the 11kV cable network. The project also includes the design, supply, installation and commissioning of a new 132kV grid intake at Manor House, and reinforcement of the 22kV cable network.
The Docklands Light Railway
We are able to undertake the complete mechanical, electrical design, procurement, installation and construction works for light rail projects, as well as the ongoing operation and maintenance.
We designed and installed the electrical infrastructure on the Docklands Light Railway Lewisham extension, which we now operate and maintain.
Croydon Tramlink
We designed and installed the electrical network which included cable diversions, the design and build of 13 11kV traction power substations, trackside cabling and the electrical services and lighting for 13 tram stops and the depot mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
We continue to operate and maintain the electrical infrastructure for the 28km Croydon tram network linking Croydon via 38 stops with New Addington, Beckenham, Elmers End and Wimbledon.