Atkinsrealis awarded 98-million-pound rail contract

Mr. Ian Edwards reports ATKINSREALIS AWARDED POUNDS STERLING98 MILLION CONTRACT TO UPGRADE RAIL SIGNALLING IN WESSEX, UK Atkinsrealis Group Inc. has been awarded a contract worth approximately 98 million pounds sterling by Network Rail, Britain's rail infrastructure owner, to upgrade signalling and telecommunications infrastructure in Wessex, south England. Over three years Atkinsrealis will act as principal contractor and designer to deliver full end-to-end design, project management and construction services to upgrade 43 kilometres of railway near Portsmouth. The project will replace obsolete systems -- improving reliability and performance -- with a target to significantly reduce signalling-related delays. "Reliable rail infrastructure is fundamental to supporting connectivity and economic growth across regions," said Ian L. Edwards, president and chief executive officer, Atkinsrealis. "This project will significantly improve network performance, benefiting passengers and freight operators while supporting the modernization of England's rail infrastructure. The scale of this award reflects Network Rail's confidence in our capability to deliver." "Atkinsrealis brings deep expertise in rail signalling, covering both conventional and digital technologies, which positions us to meet Network Rail's infrastructure modernization needs," said Chris Ball, president, United Kingdom and Ireland, Atkinsrealis. "Our track record in the region, combined with our commitment to working collaboratively with the supply chain including SMEs, will support successful delivery of this complex program, improving reliability for communities and businesses across the region." The Wessex Route connects London with Portsmouth and Southampton, two of England's major ports and industrial centres which serve as gateways for international trade and are receiving significant government investment. The route is part of South Western Railway & Network Rail Wessex's two-billion-pound investment program to modernize the railway across the southwest into London between 2024 and 2029. The project involves the relock and recontrol of the Havant Area Signalling Centre on the Wessex route to the Basingstoke Regional Operating Centre; spanning 11 stations, 10 interlockings, four level crossings and associated signalling power and telecommunications systems. Work has commenced with engineering, procurement and construction now under way. As part of the upgrade, Atkinsrealis will deploy its Advanced Signalling Method (ASM), the first rail systems integration product of its kind to gain formal product approval from Network Rail. The company has previously delivered improvements to the area's signalling through its role in the Southern Integrated Delivery program as well as the 275-million-pound Feltham & Wokingham signalling upgrade in southwest London. The contract was awarded through Network Rail's four-billion-pound Train Control Systems Framework, which Atkinsrealis secured a place on in September, 2024. Atkinsrealis's appointment builds on its extensive rail infrastructure portfolio across the United Kingdom, including delivery of the 1.2-billion-pound East West Rail phase 2 program, its position as railway systems integration partner for the East Coast Digital Program and most recently, part of the alliance delivering the 1.75-billion-pound Midlands Rail Hub. About Atkinsrealis Group Inc. Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, Atkinsrealis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We seek Safe Harbor.