Amey and Sersa, as part of the S&C North Alliance, win Infrastructure Achievement Award at National Rail Awards

22 Sep 2017

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S&C North Alliance – a collaborative alliance between AmeySersa and Network Rail to deliver switch and crossing renewals and enhancement works across two thirds of the UK – today announced that it had won the Infrastructure Achievement award at the National Rail awards. S&C North Alliance was awarded this accolade by a 23-strong independent judging panel from across the industry.

The award was in recognition of the S&C North Alliance’s work at Sandy South: a complex renewal where the team achieved 125mph handback. The Alliance’s success was due to its unique ‘Progressive Assurance’ approach to the high-speed handback of S&C renewals.

Designed to minimise disruption to passengers and train operating companies through more reliable S&C renewals completed sooner, the approach sees quality, with objectively measured tolerances, built in at each stage of the construction process. Progressive Assurance has turned the conventional way of determining handback speed on its head, paving the way for making high speed handback the norm; creating better passenger journeys and saving more than £2m in compensation payments in 2016/17, by allowing trains to run to their normal timetable immediately after work is completed.

Neil Johnson, Alliance Director, S&C North Alliance said of the win: “This is a fantastic achievement and represents the culmination of a truly collaborative journey that the design, engineering, development and delivery teams within the Alliance, supported by the IP Track team, have been on.

“My heartfelt congratulations go to the Doncaster Depot and I was really pleased to see the pride in those who collected the award. But this award also recognises the hard work, dedication and professionalism of the whole S&C North Alliance team. Together we will celebrate this award and keep building our reputation for our people and our collaborative approach – but above all for the safe and reliable installation of Rail Systems.”

The S&C North Alliance continues to transform switch and crossing (S&C) renewals in the UK – combining efficient, sustainable and innovative track renewal methods from Europe with the best safety practices aligned to Network Rail’s Life Saving Rules – to deliver impressive results, safely. It is also making rail speed handback the industry norm, a journey that began with the UK’s first 90mph handback at Craigentinny in 2014 – within a year of its foundation – followed by the UK’s first 125mph handback at Belford in 2016.

The National Rail Awards are recognised as among the most prestigious accolades in the rail industry. Held annually, organised by RAIL Magazine and entries are open to anyone working within or supplying to the UK rail industry. They celebrate excellence and achievement in the railway industry.

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