AtkinsRéalis has been awarded a GBP 98 million (EUR 114 million) contract by Network Rail to upgrade the telecommunications and signaling infrastructure on the Wessex Line in southern England.
Over the course of three years, AtkinsRéalis will act as the main contractor and designer, providing comprehensive services—from design to project management and construction—for the modernization of 43 km of track near Portsmouth. The project will replace outdated systems, improving reliability and performance, with the goal of significantly reducing delays caused by signaling issues.
As part of the modernization, AtkinsRéalis will implement its Advanced Signaling Method (ASM), the first railway systems integration product of its kind to receive official approval from Network Rail. The company has previously carried out improvements to the signaling system in the area, including as part of the Southern Integrated Delivery program and the £375 million (EUR 434 million) Feltham & Wokingham signaling modernization project in southwest London.
“The modernization of telecommunications and signaling on the Wessex line will significantly improve network performance, benefiting passengers and freight operators, while also supporting the modernization of England’s rail infrastructure. “The scale of this contract reflects Network Rail’s confidence in our ability to deliver,” said Ian L. Edwards, President of AtkinsRéalis.
The project involves reconfiguring and centralizing control of the Havant Signaling Center to the Regional Operations Center in Basingstoke, covering 11 stations, 10 signal boxes, four level crossings, and the associated power supply, signaling, and telecommunications systems. Work has already begun, with the engineering, procurement, and construction phases currently underway.
The Wessex Line, one of the busiest British routes
The Wessex Line connects London with Portsmouth and Southampton, two of England’s major ports and industrial centers, which serve as gateways for international trade and benefit from significant government investment. This route is part of the GBP 2 billion (EUR 2.3 billion) investment program by South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, aimed at modernizing the railway network in southwest England, extending to London, between 2024 and 2029.
The contract was awarded under the GBP 4 billion (EUR 4.6 billion) Train Control Systems funding framework, under which AtkinsRéalis was selected in September 2024.
Between 2024 and 2029, Network Rail is making major investments to modernize the Wessex route, running southwest from London, focusing on signaling infrastructure, structures, and track. These investments aim to increase the network’s resilience and bring it up to modern standards, so that passengers can enjoy safer and more reliable journeys in the future.
The allocated budget includes approximately GBP 333 million (EUR 390 million) for track renewal, GBP 329 million (EUR 385 million) for signaling system upgrades, GBP165 million (EUR193 million) for buildings and stations, as well as GBP 124 million (EUR145 million) for the rehabilitation and modernization of structures.
The Wessex Line covers one of the most important commuter transport areas in southwest London, extending from London Waterloo Station to southern and southwestern England. It traverses, in whole or in part, counties such as Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire, serving a vast and densely populated area.
This route is one of the busiest in the British rail network, playing a vital role in the daily mobility of the population. The main challenge is capacity during peak hours, when trains are overcrowded, particularly for journeys to and from London.
The importance of the Wessex Line is highlighted by the steady growth in demand: passenger numbers have doubled over the past 20 years, and currently over 500,000 people use this route daily. Annually, nearly 200 million trips are recorded, of which approximately 80 million have London Waterloo station as their starting point or destination.
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