Creating skilled job opportunities for the local area This week (Wednesday 8 October), Murphy officially opened its new ASTI Hub North office in William Smith House in Thurso. Murphy is preparing to help SSEN Transmission to deliver a series of electricity infrastructure projects across the north of Scotland, which are being taken forward under Ofgem’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) Framework. Known as the ‘Pathway to 2030’ programme, the business is set to invest around £20bn in new and upgraded infrastructure across the north of Scotland to help reach the country’s energy security and clean power targets. The new office and jobs are associated with SSEN Transmission’s proposed Spittal – Loch Buidhe – Beauly 400kV overhead line project, and the Banniskirk Hub (400kV substation and HVDC converter station) and Carnaig 400kV substation. The ASTI Hub North is the team’s newest office and marks a strategic expansion into Caithness, with the Murphy team keen to attract new staff from the area. Designed as a northern base for project teams and support services, with a focus on collaboration, compliance, and consistent standards across our operations, the new office also serves as a focal point for community engagement and stakeholder interaction. Liam Corr, Energy Managing Director at Murphy, said: “This new hub, alongside ASTI Hub South in Alness, reflects our ongoing investment in people, infrastructure, and local partnerships. “Together, these facilities will form a strategic backbone for project delivery and support us in this first phase of recruitment, with the Thurso Hub itself creating up to 50 new skilled roles in the region alongside the 80 people already employed in Alness; laying the foundation for a significantly expanded workforce as our operations scale up across Caithness”. Kevin Smith, Programme Director for Onshore at SSEN Transmission, said: “This investment is a perfect illustration of how the country’s transition to a clean power future through upgrading the electricity grid is creating skilled jobs in communities across the north of Scotland. Achieving national energy security through more affordable, low carbon homegrown electricity and building local economic opportunity go hand in hand. “The new employment being created by Murphy in Thurso is about people, skills, and prosperity. It’s about unlocking the economic potential of the Highlands: delivering world-class infrastructure, investing in training, and creating high-quality careers in the north of Scotland that simply wouldn’t exist without the critical investment to upgrade the electricity transmission network.”
National Inclusion Week in the UK is dedicated to building and celebrating inclusive workplaces. According to research by the National Federation of Builders, construction is a uniquely neurodiverse industry, where 1 in 4 construction workers consider themselves to have a neurodiverse condition. At Murphy, we believe our strength is our people, and by living our Murphy values, we can create a great place to work where our people feel secure and comfortable to be themselves. For National Inclusion Week, we are highlighting actionable steps people and organisations can take for the inclusion of neurodiverse colleagues: Neurodivergent (also known as NDs) individuals often work better and faster when left on their own, to their own devices, in an environment that they can control. Also, Neurodivergent people relate to others in a different way than Neurotypical (NT) people – for them, being part of a team may mean something entirely different (helping and supporting each other with workload for example – which sometimes doesn’t need them to be present in the office). Often, being in the office may stress them out, overwhelm them and bring on physical symptoms and they will likely be less efficient. The whole approach to managing a Neurodivergent individual needs to be rethought – an ND may become one of the most valuable members of your team if you take the time to learn their needs and their strengths. Did you know that autistics and ADHD’ers often have unparalleled pattern recognition skills? Reasonable adjustments for ND’s will often cost the company a lot less than you think (e.g. noise cancelling headphones or reading assisted software for their computer) for a much greater benefit to the company overall, as they are often loyal and dedicated workers. Rethink how you approach an ND employee – when in hyperfocus mode, where they can get a lot done, interrupting them will bring them incredible frustration. It can, depending on the individual, take an hour to be able to focus again. Their brain is just not built to come in and out of focus like NT’s. Do you need to speak to them immediately or can you send them an email or message asking them to get in touch with you when they are done with their task? ND’s function better when they know what is expected, what is planned, etc. Something like having an assigned desk in the office can mean a lot to them. ND’s often have issues expressing themselves verbally when put on the spot. Instead, leave them time to prepare a response – again, email is beneficial here as, when responding to an email, the ND can take the time to think and formulate an appropriate response. Instructions given should be clear and precise; written instructions can be helpful in certain cases as some ND’s have difficulties processing verbal instructions. Offer support in prioritising tasks so that the employee does not become overwhelmed by the need to do everything at once. A huge thank you to our colleague Marie-Josée Dion for sharing these tips and bringing to light the ways managers and co-workers can support their neurodiverse colleagues. Murphy is proud to operate a number of initiatives designed to break down the barriers to employment in the construction and engineering sector. You can read about them here. HIGHLIGHTS Our colleagues across Murphy represent over 60 different nationalities 26.2% of our people are from underrepresented groups 10% of our workforce is Emerging Talent In 2024, we created a social value contribution of £9.4m through local employment initiatives and 445 Giving Back Days
Boosting fuel efficiency, cutting running costs and strengthening support for major projects Murphy has announced a £6.5m investment in 34 new Cat® machines, supplied by Finning UK & Ireland. This is part of a strategic move to boost fuel efficiency, cut running costs and strengthen support for major infrastructure projects. This significant investment includes 33 excavators, ranging from the 13-tonne Cat® 313 GC to the 35-tonne Cat 336, alongside a Cat D6 XE dozer, the first of its kind in the Murphy fleet. Phillip Collier, Asset & Billing Manager at Murphy, said: “Over the past two years, we have worked closely with Finning on several large-scale infrastructure projects and benefited from their support with fleet planning and technical expertise. “This is our first investment in Cat machines since 2017. It was driven by wanting to improve operational efficiency and sustainability across the fleet. The D6 XE is expected to reduce fuel costs by around £110 per day, as it uses on average 23% less fuel than other machines of its type, with a 35% better fuel efficiency on average. As a result, it will support our ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency and sustainability across the fleet.” Ryan Trafford, Territory Account Manager at Finning, said: “We recommended the Cat 313 GC excavator for Murphy as it uses smart mode to match engine and hydraulic power to digging conditions, and auxiliary hydraulic options give versatility to use a wide range of Cat attachments. “As Murphy wanted to prioritise reducing the environmental impact of its fleet, we also recommended the Cat 336 excavator. This machine is designed to comply with the latest global emissions regulations and similarly to the Cat 313 GC, is highly fuel efficient thanks to its C13 engine and electric-hydraulic system. “This significant investment will continue to enhance operations, cut costs and maximise sustainability for Murphy for years to come, and is an indication of what happens when machine quality and long-term support come together.” HIGHLIGHTS Investment includes 33 excavators, ranging from the 13-tonne Cat® 313 GC to the 35-tonne Cat 336 Also included is a Cat D6 XE dozer, the first of its kind in the Murphy fleet
Underlining the commitment to supporting the UK’s energy transition Murphy is delighted to have been awarded a place on National Grid’s High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) civil works supply chain framework. This announcement marks the third and final stage of National Grid’s £59bn supply chain framework awards and underlines the commitment to delivering the energy infrastructure needed to support the Great Grid Upgrade and the UK’s energy transition. A total of six HVDC converter civil works suppliers have been awarded positions on Lot 1 of the Framework Agreement totalling approximately £9.07bn. In addition, three HVDC onshore cable civil works suppliers being awarded places on Lot 2 of the Framework, worth an estimated £3.7bn. The successful HVDC converter civils suppliers are Balfour Beatty, BAM Nuttall, Galliford Try, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska and Taylor Woodrow. The HVDC onshore cable civils Framework has been awarded to Balfour Beatty, Murphy, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Contracts have been secured for a five-year period, with the potential to extend for a further three years. Both Frameworks cover confirmed and anticipated projects, including Eastern Green Link 4, in partnership with SP Energy Networks and LionLink in partnership with TenneT. Nick Fletcher, UK Managing Director for Murphy, said: “At Murphy we are committed to a greener future, and working collaboratively, to deliver the UK’s energy transition and meet the government’s target of net zero by 2050. Our place on the HVDC framework enables us to continue to support the energy transition and builds on our long-standing and successful relationship with National Grid. We look forward to continuing to work together to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure.” Zac Richardson, Chief Engineer and Offshore Delivery Director of Strategic Infrastructure at National Grid, said: “This marks a major step forward in delivering the UK’s future energy network. This investment not only underpins the transition to a more secure, independent and low-carbon energy future, but will also support tens of thousands of UK jobs, boost regional supply chains and strengthen our construction and engineering sectors. By building strategic, long-term partnerships with leading UK-based contractors, we’re ensuring the UK is ready to meet the growing demand for electricity with a resilient and modern network.” Gareth Burden, Construction Director of National Grid’s LionLink project, said: “Awarding these HVDC agreements is essential to strengthen our supply chain for our future projects. Today’s announcement ensures we are well placed to progress LionLink and deliver the vital energy infrastructure the nation needs to be more energy secure, whilst lowering household energy bills.” HIGHLIGHTS Murphy awarded HVDC onshore cable civils Framework Contracts have been secured for a five-year period, with the potential to extend for a further three years
Around 100 engineers per day are working around the clock to rebuild the Greek Street bridge. Murphy and it’s customer, Network Rail, are just days away from completing the main phase of a £20m project to overhaul Greek Street bridge in Stockport. Today (Wednesday 20 August) is day 18 of a 21-day suspension of all trains for the massive civil engineering project to take place. Over the last two weeks teams have successfully dismantled and removed 200 beams from the old structure, and lifted and positioned beams for its replacement over five railway lines. With just three more days until the railway reopens on Saturday 23 August in time for the August bank holiday, latest footage shows the major progress made over the last week. It reveals how, piece by piece, the large steel and concrete beams were driven by special police escort from a storage site at Trafford Park and craned into position in a carefully choreographed sequence over a four-day period. Lifted by two huge cranes, with a combined capacity of 1,300 tonnes, the new bridge parts were inched into position across a 60m gap above the tracks, in the place where the former structure was standing for 67 years. Around 100 engineers per day are working around the clock to rebuild the Greek Street bridge. When complete it will mean more reliable journeys for passenger and freight traffic on the railway below – and for road users above – as normally it carries a four-way roundabout. Stephen Harnett, Murphy project manager, said: “It’s immensely rewarding to complete this core milestone of the project. The effort put in by our team has been nothing short of amazing as they work around the clock to upgrade and return this critical piece of infrastructure to the local community.” William Brandon, Network Rail’s project manager, said: “The work at Greek Street has been planned meticulously, and its great to see it all come together on site as we expected. I’m so grateful to everyone working so hard on the project “Once the railway reopens, journeys for passengers will be safer and more reliable for the next 120 years. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the West Coast Main Line for future generations. I’d like to thank local people for their patience while the project continues, and to passengers whose journeys have been affected over the last few weeks.” The original bridge, which was constructed in 1958 is being be replaced with a modern structure which will last for up to 120 years. HIGHLIGHTS New structure transported to site and craned into position in just four days Lifted by two huge cranes, with a combined capacity of 1,300 tonnes across a 60m gap
Around 100 engineers per day are working around the clock to rebuild the Greek Street bridge. A 67-year-old railway bridge carrying a roundabout over the West Coast Main Line in Stockport has been successfully removed in the first week of its major £20m replacement. Our Murphy project team is ten days into a 21-day railway closure for the huge civil engineering project to transform transport in the Northwest. One week into the highly anticipated project, 200 old concrete beams have been cut out and removed from the site. Lifted by two huge cranes, with a combined capacity of 1300 tonnes, the redundant bridge beams were carefully placed to the ground and taken off site by a fleet of 67 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). With a 60m cavernous gap where the old bridge used to be, the team can now prepare to install the new bridge this week. The new bridge structure is made up of 51 parts which will be moved into their final position by the two crawler cranes, which have a maximum hoisting height of 196m. Footage of the first week of work is now available, showing the impressive scale of the task at hand. Stephen Harnett, Murphy project manager, said: “At Murphy our aim is to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure, so we are proud to be delivering this critical work with Network Rail. The project is a real team effort and we are all united in our commitment to improving the transportation network for the local community and the wider North West. We look forward to seeing the new bridge in use again very soon.” William Brandon, Network Rail project manager, said: “After years of planning it is fantastic to see the work at Greek Street get off to such a good start. The team on site are doing a great job, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the new bridge installed within the next two weeks. “Once the railway reopens, journeys for passengers will be safer and more reliable for the next 120 years. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the West Coast Main Line for future generations. “I’m very grateful to passengers and the Stockport community for their patience during this essential work. I’d advise everyone to continue to plan their journeys carefully on the National Rail Enquiries website. We’ve done everything we can to create the best possible alternative travel plan.” The original bridge, which was constructed in 1958 needs to be replaced with a modern structure which will last for up to 120 years. HIGHLIGHTS One week into the project, 200 old concrete beams have been cut out and removed from the site The new bridge structure is made up of 10 concrete cills, 22 steel beams, 6 concrete beams and 13 parapet wall sections made of concrete and faced with brick to match the previous bridge colour
On 5 August 2025, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) team welcomed Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, along with David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, to the route as they marked a significant milestone in the delivery of an electrified railway across the North. Sunday 3 August saw the first electric passenger train run between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton. This means that 25% of the 70-mile Transpennine route is now electrified following the introduction of electric services between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge last year. By summer 2027 this will be 40%, with full-route electrification expected in 2030. Once complete, the programme will cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year and enable more rail freight, removing over 1000 lorries from the road daily. “We have reached a key milestone as 25% of the route is now electrified. enabling greener, faster, and more reliable journeys between York, Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester in the future. The improvements are already bringing economic and social benefits along the route and wider communities across the North”, said TRU Managing Director, James Richardson. Murphy has been delivering this work as part of the TRU East Alliance, consisting of Network Rail, Murphy, VolkerRail, Siemens and Systra. To read more about the TRU East Alliance, please click here. HIGHLIGHTS The first electric passenger train ran between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton on Sunday 3 August By summer 2027, TRU will be 40% electrified, with full-route electrification expected in 2030 Once complete, the programme will cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year
Murphy is one of seven delivery partners on the new Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) The Electricity Transmission Partnership (ETP) is a transformative new approach, designed to accelerate the delivery of £8 billion worth of vital substation infrastructure across England and Wales and support the UK’s clean energy transition. It remodels how National Grid engages with suppliers, moving to a longer term collaborative approach that builds strong regional partnerships and rewards partners for high quality performance over time. The initiative awards regional exclusivity of substation work to ETP partners based on how well they perform and their commitment to expanding their capacity, an approach that aims to strengthen the UK supply chain, encourage long term investment, and support the development of local skills and capability. It also marks a major boost to National Grid’s ambitious RIIO-T3 investment plan, which proposes up to £35 billion investment in the transmission network in England and Wales over the five years to March 2031, including to build new substations or upgrade existing ones. As part of the ETP, National Grid expects to award around £8 billion worth of substation construction work over the RIIO-T3 period, covering multiple regions and around 130 projects. In July National Grid awarded regional delivery partner status to several successful suppliers, as well as allocating an initial £1.3 billion worth of exclusive work whose contracts will be awarded at a later stage. Regional delivery partners include: Murphy – South west (region one) and London & south east region M Group – South west (region two) OTW – Central west region Balfour Beatty – North east region Morgan Sindall Infrastructure – North west region The awards mean partners will have first refusal of future substation work in the pipeline in their region, providing them with the certainty they need to invest in growth and capability. Two national partners, Linxon and Burns & McDonnell, will support delivery of substation work that falls outside the scope of the regional partners’ portfolios. The ETP complements other pioneering initiatives in National Grid’s evolving supply chain ecosystem, including the Great Grid Partnership (GGP) and a new high voltage direct current (HVDC) supply chain framework. Together, these programmes are designed to provide greater capacity and resilience across multiple infrastructure construction portfolios. The ETP model has the potential to be expanded beyond substations in future to include other network infrastructure, ensuring a consistent and innovative approach to bolstering supply chain across National Grid’s entire transmission network in England and Wales. Liam Corr, Energy Managing Director at Murphy, said: “Murphy is proud to be a part of this new partnership, which builds on our existing strong relationship with National Grid. Our company purpose is to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure, and the ETP framework sets out to do just this – reinforcing Britain’s transmission network for the benefit of all who live here.” Alice Delahunty, president of National Grid Electricity Transmission, said: “Our Electricity Transmission Partnership marks a bold shift in how we deliver vital electricity infrastructure. By adopting a regional, long-term approach, we’re giving our supply chain the certainty to invest in people, skills and innovation. It’s a key step in turning our RIIO-T3 investment ambitions into action and building a resilient grid to support Britain’s clean energy future.” Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “The clean energy transition is the economic opportunity of the 21st century, with the potential to revitalise our industrial heartlands with skilled jobs and economic growth. This £8 billion partnership from National Grid is proof of that – providing a boost for Britain’s supply chains, investing in the future of our highly skilled workforce and helping to deliver clean, homegrown power that we control.” Pictured: (L-R) Andy Ernest (National Grid VP procurement), Dale Ward (National Grid Head of Construction Strategy), Nick Fletcher (Murphy UK MD), Mark Lissimore (National Grid Director of Infrastructure Delivery) and Liam Corr (Murphy Energy MD). HIGHLIGHTS Partnership will accelerate the delivery of £8 billion worth of vital substation infrastructure across England and Wales The initiative awards regional exclusivity of substation work to ETP partners based on how well they perform and their commitment to expanding their capacity It complements other pioneering initiatives in National Grid’s evolving supply chain ecosystem, including the Great Grid Partnership (GGP)
Murphy has stepped up and into Jobstown Boxing Club’s corner by committing to sponsor the club for the next five years. Jobstown Boxing Club has become renowned for the positive impact it has in getting and keeping children and young people from this area in Dublin engaged in sport. Over the next few months, the club will install a larger training shed and an Olympic-sized boxing ring, to assist their four young Olympic hopefuls- Adam Olaniyan, Josh Olaniyan Tiffany Spencer and Brandon Geoghegan. Murphy is committed to leaving a positive legacy the areas where we work. Over the last few years, we have completed a number of important infrastructure projects for South Dublin County Council, most recently the Airton Road Extension Scheme, which opened at the end of June. We also opened our Dublin office in Cookstown, Co. Dublin last year. Club Founder Amanda Spencer said: “We are delighted to welcome Murphy on board as a Jobstown Boxing Club sponsor. We are very grateful that Murphy has recognised the important work we are doing here with young people in this area. This will help the future of our club and our Olympian hopefuls.”
