Balfour Beatty wins £30m Leeds rail job

Balfour Beatty has been awarded the £30 million contract by Railtrack to undertake the complete renewal of the permanent way and overhead line equipment on the Leeds 1st project, part of the East Coast Main Line upgrade.

Balfour Beatty Rail Projects will install new track and points along a two-mile stretch of the western approaches to Leeds station. The work will take two-and-a-half years and includes two new approach lines to the western end of the scheme.

Design work is being undertaken by CEDG, British Steel's specialist railway consultancy. CEDG was originally engaged by Railtrack, but will now be novated to Balfour Beatty under the design and build contract. The scheme will greatly increase the number of trains through Leeds station and speed up arrival and departure line-speeds by up to 60 per cent.