Sussex ETE/PSU

Challenge
Source Design Services; a specialist utility engineering design consultancy and the leading In-House Engineering Service Provider for the McNicholas Group, is delivering the designs for the upgrade of 170km of the Sussex Route rail infrastructure, amongst other client projects.

Solution
This major milestone in Source’s biggest ever contract for Network Rail and its Control Period 5 Delivery plans, has been designed to improve service resilience, certainty of power supply, and traffic frequency of trains for The Sussex Route. This route is the ‘spine and rib’ path of the Brighton Main Line, running from London Victoria to Brighton.

Results & Benefits
With more than 500 design submissions in total, Source is undertaking the design management of five electrical, civil, and signalling sub-contractors together with the delivery of designs for the ancillary civils, under-track (UTX) and under-road (URX) crossings and temporary works for two of the four routes. Part of the design management works include the design of electric track equipment, positive & negative cabling, signalling assurance, and Critical Rail Temperature management along the route. A major element of the contract is the upgrade to the power supply and associated equipment. This project will facilitate service growth and maintenance switch-outs, improving working conditions and increasing safety for Network Rail’s operational staff by moving equipment further away from the track to positions of safety. It will also help meet the future development of this route, which is the busiest and most densely congested within the network.