Project outline

Scheme to electrify the Gospel Oak to Barking Route as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, increasing peak hour capacity by 30 percent. Murphy delivered civil works for a 12-mile stretch of the London Overground rail network as part of the electrification of the line where we successfully delivered on programme with minimal disruption to the local community. All works were carried out safely with no major accidents during the 22 months.

Key facts 

• Piling works for c. 1,000 electrification masts, platform extensions, reinforcement of embankments and cuttings and installation of fencing to prohibit public access
• Raising a bridge and lowering of switches, crossings and plain track to provide clearance for OHLE (Overhead Line Equipment)
• Installing slab track, modifying signals for 25kV AC electrification and telecommunication assets, refurbishing existing bridge parapets and bridge replacement
• Platform Lowering and Extension Works
• Head office in Kentish Town is located opposite Gospel Oak Station allowing the use of local staff and resources

Project delivery

Works were delivered on time to ensure the railway’s opening on 24 February, 2017 where we then carried out bonding works to facilitate the electrification, completed in May 2018. On GOBE we saved £4.5m through value engineering whilst minimising the impact on the community and risk to the programme.

Innovations

• Installation of innovative pre-cast slim deck track slabs reducing the overall number of bridge replacements.
• Thorough surveys and trial holes in advance of the works helped to map out underlying services, including those of the nearby High Speed 1 (HS1) tunnels.
• Protection of HV cables with temporary timber/scaffold barriers, we implemented a rigorous permit-to-pile process for the safe management of the trackside piling works