Happy New Year from all at Enable Infrastructure!
Happy New Year from all at Enable Infrastructure!
January 14, 2022
Enable Infrastructure (formerly known as BCM Construction) had a fruitful festive season with the commencement of works on the Reading Independent Feeder (RIF) project. Christmas Eve saw the start of the successful installation of 2x under-track crossings (UTX). All works completed with no accidents or incidents, and the track possession was handed back on time.
As the Principal Contractor to the Network Rail decarbonisation project, these UTXs are a vital first step in a multi-million-pound scheme over the next 18 months that will result in further electrification and thus decarbonisation of the railway between Reading and Bramley.
RIF is a constituent project of the Wales and Western Decarbonisation Team to supply an independent HV electricity supply to the existing BCM-built Reading Feeder Substation (pictured) with the construction of Holly Cross, a new feeder substation and access road. Holly Cross is to be fed via a new supply from Bramley National Grid 400kV site. A new low-level HV cable route shall be laid alongside the railway cess from Holly Cross to supply Reading substation, over a lineside distance of approximately 17 km. The project is intended to provide a redundant supply to Reading substation to increase the reliability, availability and maintainability of the existing network. Holly Cross substation is also intended to provide for potential future 25kV electrification of the adjacent railway, which is currently not electrified.
Enable Infrastructure teams are presently hard at work building the cable management system parallel to the track in preparation for the key next phases: the first being the laying of the HV cable, followed by the construction of the Holly Cross substation, both scheduled to take place in spring of this year. We look forward to working with our main supply chain partner SPL in these endeavours.
Enable Infrastructure are excited by the potential of this project to enhance both the resilience and sustainability of our railway network and would like to wish everyone a happy, successful, and safe 2022 as we continue in our mission to deliver social value through successful infrastructure projects.