Unlocking faster, greener journeys Over the last few weeks, colleagues working on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) have been hard at work completing several impressive milestones across five consecutive weekends of critical work between Leeds and York. Murphy is working on TRU as part of the TRU East Alliance, formed of Network Rail, Murphy, Siemens, Systra and VolkerRail. The recent works, which will support the electrification of the railway, have included: Following overhead line equipment (OLE) mast installation earlier in the year, 7.5km of wiring has now been completed between Micklefield and Church Fenton, which will unlock faster, greener journeys in the future. Just to the east of this location, electric passenger services between York and Church Fenton are set to launch in the coming months, following last year’s successful switch-on between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. In Cross Gates, Station Road bridge was also safely demolished and replaced so that OLE can be installed throughout the area. You can watch the project team carrying out the bridge replacement in the video below. Around 750m of track was renewed between Killingbeck and Cross Gates, which will support smoother, more reliable travel. A new track crossover was also installed, allowing trains to switch lines more easily and give the TRU programme more flexibility for future upgrades. TRU will ultimately see 70-miles of fully electric, digital railway revolutionise travel in the North of England. In addition to the milestone already reached, future plans include: Electrifying the whole route between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds Installing a new digital signalling system along the Transpennine route Doubling the number of tracks from two to four between Huddersfield andWesttown in Dewsbury. Station improvements along the route to enhance customer experience, comfort and accessibility Improving the railway on diversionary routes to allow more trains to run, helping passengers and freight on the move while the core Transpennine route is closed to deliver essential upgrades. This will provide capacity and reliability improvements for the future too. HIGHLIGHTS Several impressive milestones completed across five consecutive weekends of critical work between Leeds and York 7.5km of wiring now completed between Micklefield and Church Fenton Station Road bridge safely demolished and replaced 750m of track was renewed between Killingbeck and Cross Gates
Murphy picks up a selection of awards including ‘Contractor of the Year’. It’s been a summer of success and celebration for Murphy as the business picked up three awards at the New Civil Engineer and Construction News awards. Starting at the NCE awards, Murphy was delighted to take home both the ‘Contractor of the Year’ and the ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Leader’ accolades. Awarding ‘Contractor of the Year’, the judges said: “An impressive presentation demonstrating solid performance growth while maintaining a strong focus on employee development. The company’s zero-carbon and social value efforts are market-leading, and its ability to diversify further supports its growth. The investment in green plant is commendable.” Following this, for the EDI award, Murphy was highlighted as: “A great example of how EDI is integral to successful business performance and is a core part of the global business strategy. The strategy was clearly embedded throughout the organisation. The fact that the prisons programme has now been picked up across the sector is testament to the leadership of this organisation. Many aspects of diversity were addressed, including LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity and NEETs. The strategies were translated into meaningful local impact and social value activities, with feedback gathered from all levels of the organisation.” At the Construction News awards Murphy won the ‘Training Excellence’ award. Recognising our ‘Development For All’ approach. The judges said: “We were particularly impressed by the clear focus on delivering positive outcomes, with measurable impact through internal development and meaningful contributions to the broader sector.“ The annual awards celebrate civil engineering excellence and achievements from across our industry and our recognition is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our teams. Well done to all the teams involved in these fantastic achievements. If you’d like to become a part of our award-winning teams, head to our careers page to find the perfect role for you. HIGHLIGHTS New Civil Engineer ‘Contractor of the Year’ New Civil Engineer ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Leader’ Construction News 'Training Excellence'
The first of eight supergrid transformers has been delivered to our Yorkshire Green project. Murphy is currently working for National Grid on the Yorkshire Green project to upgrade and reinforce the high-voltage power network and reduce the national reliance on fossil fuels. This project, part of the wider Great Grid Upgrade, includes implementing substantial protection and control changes at six different substations in the area including new changes to electronic equipment and the associated wiring. The delivery, the first of eight, is the latest milestone in project. Transformers play a vital role in helping to ensure the UK continues to enjoy safe and reliable energy supplies, stepping voltage up or down so electricity can be efficiently transmitted from power generators or safely distributed to homes and businesses via regional networks. Weighing at 200-tonnes – the equivalent of 33 African elephants, the transformer was delivered from Teesport Docks, Middlesbrough, on a specialist vehicle over 80 metres long under police escort and at low speed. Now on site, the transformer will be pushed into its final position over course of a couple of days. The remaining seven deliveries will take place between July and October to the Overton and Monk Fryston sites, with four supergrid transformers being delivered to each. HIGHLIGHTS Once operational, the transformer, weighing in at 200-tonnes – will help to change the voltage of electricity so that it can be supplied safely to homes and businesses. The delivery is part of a package of improvement works to upgrade and reinforce the network in the area - eight supergrid transformer will ultimately be delivered to substations in Overton and Monk Fryston.
50 new bridge sections and a 350m³ concrete bridge deck will replace the original 1958 bridge structure On behalf of our customer, Network Rail, Murphy has been hard at work preparing for the replacement of the Greek Street bridge, located in the centre of Stockport, Greater Manchester. The 67-year-old bridge structure carries a roundabout with four approach roads, and beneath the bridge, five electrified railway lines carry trains on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to London, as well as routes to Chester, Crewe, Sheffield, and the Peak District. Our team’s preparation of the Greek Street site included the installation of a temporary scaffold bridge, completed over Christmas 2024. The Greek Street roundabout, located on top of the bridge structure, was closed to traffic in March 2025. Our engineers have focused this summer on the temporary diversion of all existing statutory services, such as water and electricity, to ensure local communities have access to necessary services during the work. From 2 – 22 August, an unprecedented 21-day railway closure will take place. The closure will involve lowering the existing overhead line equipment to track level, cutting and removing the bridge in 130 sections using two 1000-tonne cranes. Subsequently, 50 new bridge sections will be installed, the overhead line equipment reinstated, and 350m³ concrete bridge deck constructed. After the blockade, waterproofing the structure will take place, followed by statutory service reinstatement into the new structure, removal of the temporary scaffold bridge, and installation of the new carriageway. Once completed, the new bridge is expected to last 120 years. HIGHLIGHTS 50 new bridge sections will be installed 350m³ concrete bridge deck Once completed, the new bridge is expected to last 120 years
In the first event of its kind, our Emerging Talent and Development cohorts came together to celebrate their achievements. On Thursday 26 June, our Emerging Talent and Learning & Development cohorts celebrated the successful completion of their programmes at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in Birmingham. In the first event of its kind, over 100 graduates, apprentices, Project Leaders and Future Leaders from all corners of the business gathered together for leadership and networking sessions to celebrate their achievements and continue their development journeys. Sessions on the day included: The Future Leaders participants presenting the results and recommendations of their ESG business challenge to members of the Senior Leadership Team. Project Leaders reviewing key learnings on Stakeholder Management to conclude their final module. Emerging Talent mapping out their futures at Murphy covering additional training and professional progression. Every attendee also received an award to mark their efforts from John Murphy. Finally, to round off the event, the attendees were joined by Damian Hughes, of the High Performance Podcast, who gave a fascinating talk on how our reactions to the circumstances around us can impact our success. Representing all levels of business, those in attendance have stood out as the future of Murphy. We’re excited to see the next steps they take as they help us to fulfil our purpose of improving life by delivering world-class infrastructure. To find out how you can follow in the footsteps, head to our Careers and Emerging Talent web areas to find the path for you. HIGHLIGHTS In the first event of its kind, over 100 graduates, apprentices, Project Leaders and Future Leaders from all corners of the business gathered together Attendees represented all levels of business across the UK and Ireland
At Murphy, we strongly believe that the diversity our people bring is a real strength This year, Murphy’s LGBTQ+ network and allies are celebrating Pride at several events across the country, including Birmingham, Thurrock and Manchester Pride. Our renowned rainbow-wrapped Pride truck rolled through Birmingham City Centre with colleagues from across Murphy walking alongside. With thousands of people in attendance, the Birmingham Pride Parade is one of the most important events of the Pride period and Murphy is proud to join in celebrating, remembering, and supporting LGBTQ+ people for a seventh consecutive year. Additionally, our Bouygues – Murphy Joint Venture team attended the second annual Thurrock Pride parade, walking and showing support all the way from The Wharf Pub to the Thameside complex. Thank you to all our colleagues who gave up their time to organise and support these events. If you’d like to join them in celebrating Pride, we will be walking alongside the Network Rail team at Manchester Pride on Saturday, 23 August. At Murphy, we strongly believe that the diversity our people bring is a real strength. It broadens our capabilities and increases our offering to the industry. As a business we challenge ourselves to provide a great place to work, where our people can feel secure and comfortable to be themselves, allowing them to develop and thrive in their work. If you’d like to find out more about how to become a part of that workplace, head to our careers page. HIGHLIGHTS Colleagues are celebrating Pride events across the country Our renowned rainbow-wrapped Pride truck rolled through Birmingham City Centre for a seventh consecutive year Colleagues will also be attending Manchester Pride in August
International Women in Engineering Day promotes the work being carried out by talented engineers around the world. Now in its twelfth year, International Women in Engineering Day (IWED) plays a vital role in inspiring future generations of engineers to find their place in the industry and enjoy rewarding, lifelong careers. To recognise the day, we spoke to engineers across the business, who shared their thoughts and experiences on what makes engineering an exciting industry to work in. Alongside this, colleagues have been taking time out to represent at a number of external IWED events. Ahead of the day, colleagues in Ireland attended the Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Conference. Murphy is a very proud supporter of this annual conference, which celebrates the achievements of women in engineering and provides a platform for connection, inspiration, and progress. And, on the day itself, colleagues in the UK visited St John’s C of E Primary School in Abram to run a special ‘Breaking Ground – Women in Engineering’ event. In addition to a special presentation by Elizabeth Connolly, who shared her journey into engineering, the pupils were also able to experience some engineering in action thanks to Leon Williams, who brought along one of our excavators.
Murphy has commenced work to construct the largest substation ever built in the UK. The multimillion-pound contract from National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) will see the construction of a new substation at Uxbridge Moor, which borders NGET’s existing Iver substation in Buckinghamshire, connecting new customers to the electricity network and helping to meet the significant increase in demand for electricity to the west of London.With its wide-ranging inhouse expertise and direct delivery approach, Murphy will be carrying out the broad scope of works itself – including the construction of a new 400kV substation, a new 132kV substation, ancillary facilities, underground cabling and associated modification works to the 400kV overhead line network to the new 400kV substation. Connection to the new 132kV substation will be via 132kV underground cables.The scope also consists of a new 1.2km raised access road off the A412 and other associated civil infrastructure, including a new road bridge crossing over River Alder Bourne.The substation design is gas insulated, this advanced technology will allow the team to reduce the footprint of the proposed site by around 70% compared to a traditional substation design, minimising the impact on the local area and the environment.Liam Corr, Managing Director of Energy at Murphy, said; “Since 1951 Murphy has been a leading provider of innovative and integrated energy solutions – today we support groundbreaking transmission and distribution projects across the four countries in which we work. “We are proud to be delivering this project in the UK’s capital and building on our strong working relationship with National Grid to help to ensure energy security for decades to come.” Laura Mulcahy, project director at National Grid Electricity Transmission, said: “Our new Uxbridge Moor substation will provide vital access to power for data centres that are at the heart of Britain’s innovation and economic growth. It will enable new jobs and investment in Buckinghamshire, and will support the UK’s digital future. “Alongside these significant benefits, we are working to keep the substation’s environmental impact to a minimum. By using the latest SF6-free gas-insulated switchgear, we’re reducing the size of this crucial site by around 70%, and ensuring its technology is sustainable and resilient long into the future.” HIGHLIGHTS Construction of both a new 400kV substation and a new 132kV substation Underground cabling and associated modification works to the 400kV overhead line network to the new substation. Construction of a new 1.2km raised access road off the A412 and a new road bridge crossing over River Alder Bourne
Continued growth and strong operational performance Murphy is pleased to announce its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2024, reflecting continued growth and strong operational performance, building on the progress achieved in 2023. Murphy has continued to deliver key critical infrastructure and, just one year out from the company’s 75th anniversary, is well-placed to deliver on its vision of becoming the leading family-owned construction company. John Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Murphy, commented: “I’m pleased to share that we’ve delivered another strong year of growth, marked by consistent year-on-year improvements in both our financial results and operational performance, while remaining firmly committed to delivering world-class infrastructure. These achievements reflect the dedication and capability of our people, our continued emphasis on sustainable business practices, and the strength of our customer relationships. “Throughout 2024, we successfully navigated economic pressures, changes in government policy and inflationary pressures, demonstrating the Group’s resilience. The sector’s significant investments in transportation, water and energy infrastructure, underpins our confidence in the future with Murphy well-positioned to capitalise on the opportunities these investments bring. “As we look ahead to our 75th anniversary in 2026, our ‘Murphy at 75’ vision, to be the leading family-owned construction business in the regions where we operate, is firmly within sight. Our primary focus remains on achieving long-term, sustainable growth, built on our ability to deliver reliable, high-quality outcomes for our customers and to leave a positive, lasting impact through our work and in the communities we support.” Key project highlights included: Completing civil works at Oswestry Water Treatment Works for United Utilities, marking significant progress on this critical infrastructure project. Successfully completing tunnelling activities on London Power Tunnels 2 (“LTP2”) as part of our Hochtief Murphy joint venture for National Grid. Delivering significant new stations at both Beaulieu and Cambridge on behalf of Network Rail. Making strong progress on the Twinstead Green Grid Supply Point for National Grid, including installation of the first Super Grid Transformer. Securing the first transportation contract in Ontario with our joint venture partner Kenaidan. Financial and operational highlights: Revenue reduced by 2% to £1,398m (FY23: £1,421m), reflecting our focus around customer and contract selectivity. We saw a volume reduction in Canada following the completion of two major projects, although this was offset by our investment in WHC Energy Services in the USA and solid year-on-year growth in both the UK and Ireland, highlighting the strength and resilience of Murphy’s geographically diverse business model. Operating profit increased 11% to £79.6m (2023: £71.7m), driven by strong performance across all areas of the business and a continued focus on operational efficiency and high-quality project delivery. Net cash increased 15% to £400.5m (FY23: £347.1m), supporting ongoing investment in business growth, innovation, and sustainability-focused projects. Employee numbers increased by 5% to 4,060, up from 3,855 in 2023, as Murphy continues to develop talent while creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged workforce. We sustained our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) at 0.06 as we continued to grow internationally demonstrating a sustained commitment to the highest standards of health and safety across all operations and increased activity levels. Sustainability highlights: Achieved a 6.1% reduction in carbon emissions versus 2023, culminating in a total reduction of 54% since 2019, marking our achievement of the Murphy at 75 emissions reduction target one year ahead of schedule. Invested £23.0m in state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious plant and equipment across the UK and Ireland in 2024. Outlook: Continued strong performance during the opening months of 2025 while proactively managing the macroeconomic challenges facing the wider construction sector. Record order book of £5.4bn across the UK, Ireland and North America, a strong balance sheet and the pressing need for infrastructure investment underpins confidence in the future. Industry investment in our chosen sectors continues, presenting growing opportunities in energy, water and transport, as demonstrated by the recently awarded Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (“ASTI”) programmes for National Grid and SSEN, along with the award of the development phase of the $1 billion Bloor-Yonge Station Capacity Improvement project in Toronto, Canada. Investment in a 40% share of Australia’s Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, announced on 5 May 2025, marking the latest step in Murphy’s plans to extend its geographical reach whilst remaining focused on the commitment to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure. Proven success in sectors such as energy security and infrastructure investment, along with continued growth in traditional markets, strengthens confidence in the Group’s strategic direction and long-term growth plans. You can read the full report here. HIGHLIGHTS Full Year Results for the year ended 31 December 2024 Strong, sustained growth driven by continued operational excellence Future confidence underpinned by record £5.4bn order book
