Lanes Group welcomes Network Rail climate change plan

Network Rail has identified improving track drainage as being central to its response to climate change – and Lanes Group plc is ready to support this process, says Martin Balcombe, Director of the company’s rail division.

Network Rail, which owns and operates the UK’s rail network, has announced the start of its CP7 five-year rail improvement period, saying taking action to protect rail services against climate change will be one of its biggest challenges.

In cash terms, £45.4 billion is due to be spent over the next five years on maintaining, renewing and improving Britain’s railways, says Network Rail, and around £2.8 billion of that has been allocated to activities and technology that will help cope with more extreme weather.

Drainage – growing priority

Lanes Group Rail (LGR) is a leading provider of drainage and FM services for the rail industry. It is Transport for London’s principle drainage contractor for London Underground, also working on London Overground and the Elizabeth Line.

It also delivers drainage services for main contractors working across the national rail network and on strategic freight infrastructure, and for operators of regional tram systems across the UK.

LGR Director Martin Balcombe said: “Drainage maintenance and improvement had been a growing priority across the UK’s rail network for some time now. Network Rail’s announcement represents a consistent direction of travel.

“We welcome the planned focus on drainage and stand ready to play our part in supporting Network Rail and our partners in the rail maintenance supply chain to minimise the potential disruption climate change can have over the next five years.”

Principal contractor

LGR has the right expertise and resources needed to support rail contractors, through services that include track drainage and culvert surveying, drone surveying, rail drainage design and planning, track drainage cleaning, track drainage installation, cured in place pipe (CIPP) lining, water management, and rail structure repair.

Through its subsidiary company, UKDN Waterflow (LG), it also holds a Network Rail Principal Contractor’s Licence.

Work planned by Network Rail to improve the resilience of the rail network against extreme weather events during CP7, which runs until 2029, includes:

• Increased investment in maintenance of track drainage, cuttings and embankments;
• Building, rebuilding and redesigning 600km of drains;
• Recruitment of 400 additional drainage engineers to support the improved maintenance of drainage assets;
• Installing more smart landslip sensors on cuttings and embankments;
• Training hundreds of staff at a new Network Rail weather academy so they can respond more effectively to weather forecasts and events.

Making rail more resilient

In a media release issued by Network Rail, announcing the start of its CP7 investment period, its Chief Executive, Andrew Haines, said: “Climate change is the biggest challenge our railway faces.

“The extreme weather of the past year has taken its toll on our railway – with experts predicting more of the same to come.

“We are responding to that challenge with a huge investment in making our railway more resilient and better performing for rail users during such events. We can never completely ‘weatherproof’ our railway, but we can be better prepared.”

Find out more

Talk to the expert team at Lanes Group Rail. Telephone: 01708 528770. Email: railenquiries@lanesgroup.co.uk.