Atkins awarded £29m Norwich – Lowestoft resignalling contract

Infrastructure manager Network Rail has awarded Atkins a £29m contract to resignal the Norwich – Great Yarmouth – Lowestoft route by spring 2019. The project covering 42 route-km will include the deployment of Alstom ElectroLogIXS digital interlockings to replace mechanical systems, and the upgrading of six level crossings. The signalling will be controlled and the hardware remotely monitored from the Colchester Signalling Centre.

Announcing the contract on August 15, Atkins said it would provide a full suite of GRIP Stage 5 to 8 design, engineering, construction, testing and commissioning services.

‘The innovative new signalling system will provide a step-change in the way the railway runs; it will be safer, more reliable and cheaper to operate and maintain’, said Atkins Programme Director Adam Parsons. ‘Using a digital interlocking system deployed with our overall system architecture significantly reduces the amount of time which track engineers will be required to spend in safety critical environments maintaining and repairing signalling systems.’