Levenmouth rail link to reopen: project updates

[Bald Rick]

My experience was the Framework contracts don't give best value for money for greenfield jobs as generally they are orientated towards working on operational infrastructure which has a lot of overheads compared to this job which should be executed as a "high street" environment. However, if those who drafted the tender were told to include a suite of rates that covered rebuilding an old line then would be suitable.

Agreed.

Although I know of examples where it was decided not to use the local track alliance and tender for track jobs in similar circumstances, only to find that the Alliance was much cheaper! There is, in theory at least, an economy of scale in using the frameworks.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Agreed.

Although I know of examples where it was decided not to use the local track alliance and tender for track jobs in similar circumstances, only to find that the Alliance was much cheaper! There is, in theory at least, an economy of scale in using the frameworks.

I believe they've moved to multi disciplined frameworks now but certainly am aware of structures frameworks being used for a civils job with p.way and signalling changes which were channelled through the framework because the uneducated NR team though it was less risky than trying to manage the coordination between using each disciplines framework - it wasn't and it still needed NR team to pick up the pieces but the framework contractor earn't the margin.

 

[John R]

To be completely frank with you I sincerely doubt you will get a more courteous answer to your question than that from Bald Rick in post #199.

I'll let you into a secret though - most people seeking to understand a company's finances take a look at the Report & Accounts. You'll note from any of the major contractors that the reported profit margins are around 1% - 3%. Site margins are higher - depending on the job and how they price and deal with the risks. Go and find a friendly contractor and you might get an answer.....

However, if I was wanting to make lots and lots of money, being a contractor on the railways or highways is not where I'd start. The progressive reduction in the number of UK-based/owned contractors over the past 30 years, the growth of larger international (EU) ones in the UK (Vinci, Strabag, Eiffage, Hochtief, Skanska, the various Spanish ones etc), and the increasing number of JVs tells you that it's not a business for the faint-hearted and/or the poorly-financed. And that's before the costs of bidding and not winnning.......

And it's always been like that - R.S. Joby's book 'The Railway Builders: Lives And Works Of The Victorian Railway Contractors' (£4.95 on AbeBooks) tells you how the greats like Brassey, Locke and Dargan regularly suffered the same sort of vicissitudes as Carillion, 2000's Costain etc - and often ended up owning and operating the lines they built (and sometimes financed) in order to get their money back - DBFO isn't a 1990's/2000 Major/Blairite invention. The story of how the London & Birmingham was almost entirely built via sub-contractors shows that the great names e.g. the Stephensons were as much contract managers as designers.

The owner/financing entity, whether the Grand Junction, Great Western or Network Rail, have always been savvier clients that a lot of people on this board often take them to be. "Would I be right in thinking that contractors bid for various stages of work? As in NR have a tendering process?" Um, they sure do - and you only have to read the civil engineers blog of the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway Co. to see what happens when you (a) try to screw the civils contractor, (b) don't have sufficiently rigorous site supervision and (c) the effect of time and general weathering (http://bridgestobroadway.blogspot.com/).

And the golden rule is that risk has to be paid for by someone, whether client, contractor or down the supply chain. The only difference with it being a 'known technology' is that in some aspects the risks might be better known. Some of the recent posts in this thread allude to various risks. And that's before anyone mentions no as-builts from 50 years back, no records of mining more than 120 years old, limited ground condition surveys etc etc...

There are lots of posts on the HS2 thread on the subject of cost since, after all, one of the main contentious areas around that project is costs. Start at the beginning of that thread (or the Crossrail, the Manchester-Blackpool electrification or Great Western electrification ones) and I'd be confident you'll get a better idea of how to get your head around how rail (and general construction) costs are constituted. And what happens to cost when you want (a) a 60 year design life and (b) the vast majority of risks of failure of the construction over that entire period are passed to the contractor (cf Hinkley Point C).

I know it’s a digression, but trying to understand your point with regard to the GSWR. Are you suggesting the contractor got shafted, or the railway?

 

[WesternS]

Apologies, not especially well-drafted section. It is evident from a reading of the various GWSR blogs over the years that remedial work has provided evidence that the contractor who built the Cheltenham-Stratford section back between 1902 & 1906 took some interesting 'short-cuts' in their construction process. The Gotherington slip remediation story highlights, amongst other things, that ground preparation was, in a number of cases and for some length, poor - fill for embankment was dumped directly onto pasture (grass) rather than this being stripped and compaction was a little 'haphazard' in places.

These tend to be the sort of short-cuts a contractor (of any size including your builder) takes when they have under-priced this part of the job (due to lack of decent data or time/ability to find it out), they're either short of time or think that no one will ever see it (cf what they leave under your kitchen cabinets and/or floorboards). Whilst this is the contractor's action, it's a mark of a contract that isn't especially balanced OR an inexperienced contractor. My pet hate are those contracts that state 'the client does not warrant any data in this specification or contract', provides about 3 weeks for the tender and allows minimal site visits.....

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Mar 2022 ==

Agreed.

Although I know of examples where it was decided not to use the local track alliance and tender for track jobs in similar circumstances, only to find that the Alliance was much cheaper! There is, in theory at least, an economy of scale in using the frameworks.

Yes, framework contracts tend to work a lot better when there are lots of replicable tasks (such as in operations). The water industry tends to use them a lot as much of their requirements include MEICA kit (e.g. pumps etc) as well as smaller maintenance/capital maintenance tasks (the old discussion of what is capital maintenance and what is capital comes here....). Another of the benefits of a framework for both parties is that the tender costs (and client procurement costs) are only expended once every so often (e.g. 5 years) rather than on every single piece of work. The savings from this can be shared.... back in the late 1990's when the UK water companies moved from the approach of using the tender box for nearly all distribution pipe replacement contracts to frameworks, the reduction in contractor prices was something in the order of 15% and another 10% on internal procurement costs. Worth thinking about how to achieve when you're spending £150m+ per year on the task.

As you both will recognise, all asset owners aspire to (a) excellent asset management processes & systems to provide the necessary data on what they have and, equally importantly, how it has performed over its (expected) life and (b) uses this, allied to past tender prices/out-turn prices, to generate 'cost curves' for both specific items and activities. These should, in theory [GIGO risk here....], be very useful in both estimating likely costs (in project preparation) and tender assessment (when a contractor is markedly different to another on their BOQ).

So as you note, in theory, a framework contract for 'track work' could ask for a price (rate) for line clearance..... how this are all put together in a complex task with civils, structural, M&E, S&C and so on must be a nightmare both to do and to evaluate. And as others have noted on this thread, not everyone (consultant, client or contractor) has the same 'cost curves'.... I expect that is why you now see the structural stuff (bridge re-builds) done as separate contracts to stations, civils works on the line (e.g. drainage, embankments etc), track-work, and the electrification (gantry erection and wire-stringing work).

As an old contractor friend once said to me "a loss-making contract is a career-limiting situation". Just look at Costain's latest results, Balfour Beatty's in the mid-2010's, Kier's in the past 5 years.....

 

[Wynd]

Thanks for the insight all.

So, with NR being a public body, it could be reasonably requested to see a breakdown of the engineering hours spent on any given project?

 

[Bald Rick]

Thanks for the insight all.

So, with NR being a public body, it could be reasonably requested to see a breakdown of the engineering hours spent on any given project?

nothing to stop you asking, except the usual limits on FOI requests. I suspect in this case it would be a) commercially confidential and b) exceed the amount of time it takes to extract the full set of data.

I’ve never seen a successful FOI for cost info relating to an in flight project.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

nothing to stop you asking, except the usual limits on FOI requests. I suspect in this case it would be a) commercially confidential and b) exceed the amount of time it takes to extract the full set of data.

I’ve never seen a successful FOI for cost info relating to an in flight project.

Any project i ran i could download high level costs in 30 seconds off the projects database - wouldn't be contract costs just planned budgets.

Can't see how they can decline an FOI on at least scope - will be fancy powerpoint somewhere

 

[Bald Rick]

Any project i ran i could download high level costs in 30 seconds off the projects database - wouldn't be contract costs just planned budgets.

Can't see how they can decline an FOI on at least scope - will be fancy powerpoint somewhere

oh I know that, but what was suggested was ‘engineering hours’ on the project, which as you know is quite a different thing, and would take a QS quite some time to dig out to the nth degree for all the sub contracts.

 

[snowball]

A new press release with video:

Early progress at Levenmouth is rail-y positive.

It was a milestone moment for the Levenmouth Rail Link when the first new rails were laid on the project which will reconnect the town to the mainline passenger network for the first time in more than half a century.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

It was a milestone moment for the Levenmouth Rail Link when the first new rails were laid on the project which will reconnect the town to the mainline passenger network for the first time in more than half a century.

Extensive preparatory activity around Thornton Junction to the west of the route has led to an early opportunity to put down the first new sections of rail on the project that will eventually see 19km of double track installed to create the branch line.

Existing track sections within the first mile of the rail corridor were utilised to deliver the new ballast, sleepers and rails to where they would be needed in the section.

The old track was then lifted and the top layers of ballast removed back to the formation level of the track-bed. With the materials all to hand, the track-bed could then be quickly re-formed.

Specialist plant positioned the concrete sleepers in batches of seven covering 72 metres per hour and creating the early chance to put down the first of the new rails.

Seven pairs of continuously welded rail sections in 240 metre lengths were positioned on the sleepers before being clipped into place to form the first mile of what will be the new Levenmouth branch line.

Bill Reeve, Director of Rail, Transport Scotland said:

“Laying the first rails on the new rail link is a tremendous milestone for this exciting project and great news for the local community.

“The Levenmouth Rail Link will provide sustainable connectivity for the communities of Leven, Methil, Cameron Bridge and the wider area, and will attract people to visit, live, work and invest in those communities.

“Our Programme for Government made a commitment to decarbonising Scotland’s Railway and growth in rail use is an essential part of decarbonising the total transport mix. This scheme will re-open the disused rail line between Thornton junction and Leven, providing convenient and comfortable services through Fife to Edinburgh, Dunfermline and the wider rail network.”

Joe Mulvenna, Project Manager for the Levenmouth Rail Link project said, “Even at this early point in the work, laying the first rails feels like a symbolic event that will be warmly welcomed by all of the people who have worked hard to make this project a reality.

“Utilising much of the existing track bed and extensive preparatory work has enabled the project to get quickly out of the blocks and we can already see the project taking shape but obviously there is still a long way to go.

“With the first rails down along the first mile, the focus will turn to other aspects of the programme – particularly work on some the structures - but it is great that the project has got off to such a great start.”

Following successful completion of a range of preparatory activities the project to deliver the new Levenmouth Rail kicked off in March 2022.
It includes:

• 19 single track kilometres of new / reinstated railway. (Fully double tracked railway)
• Two new modern accessible stations
• Electrification of the line
• Work with partners to optimise interchange options connecting stations
• Opportunities in freight and tourist/charter connections

The investment value of the project is £116.6m
The programme is scheduled to complete in Spring 2024

Current Status:

Work to upgrade Thornton North Junction was completed during a line closure on Sunday 6th March. This enabled the connection onto what will be the Levenmouth branch line.

The project is currently onsite, delivering the first phases of work

This includes track work to the west of the route and bridge works along the length of the rail corridor.

It is anticipated that Station designs will be complete and planning applications made later in 2022

 

[fgwrich]

Good to see the work progressing at a pace so far. Is the plan for the branch to be double track up to the curve, then a single feed to the mainline?

 

[stuu]

So from the £116m would a breakdown of:
Civils and track £60m
Stations £20m
Electrification £20m
Project planning/design/management £15m
be anywhere close to the right sort of figures for costs?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

So from the £116m would a breakdown of:
Civils and track £60m
Stations £20m
Electrification £20m
Project planning/design/management £15m
be anywhere close to the right sort of figures for costs?

Given the comment

“Utilising much of the existing track bed and extensive preparatory work has enabled the project to get quickly out of the blocks

would suggest to me track costs of <£2m/track mile should be achievable so £15m for plain line. Then a new double Jcn at Thornton and a scissor at Leven another £10m. Thornton going to need a new interlocking so £15m although I suspect they will do a tidy up of the area to remove redundant asset so more P.Way costs plus £5m for branch signalling. Plus fencing the whole branch and some structures work and your £60m isn't too far off.

I would suggest electrification will be more unless the connection to the grid is being funded from elsewhere. This figure will have c£10m contingency in it as well.

 

[snowball]

And another press release:

Planning application is diversion from Bawbee road closure

Network Rail has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the diversion route and river crossing required during the work on the Leven (Bawbee) bridge.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the diversion route and river crossing required during the work on the Leven (Bawbee) bridge.

With work now underway on the Rail Link development to the west of the route, attention is turning to the Leven site and the need to undertake work on the A955 road bridge which sits above what will be the future Leven station.

Network Rail will replace the abutments and bridge deck of the 75-year-old road bridge which is suffering from significant deterioration and showing signs of chlorine contamination and corrosion and is subject to weight restrictions.

Because of the interface between the structure and the rail project, it has been agreed that the bridge renewal can be most efficiently taken forward by Network Rail as part of the wider programme delivery.

The nature and extent of the work means that the A955 will be closed for a year to enable the removal and reconstruction of the bridge. With circa 18,000 vehicles each day affected by this closure, to minimise disruption for road users, a diversion route including temporary bridge will be created and this is the subject of the planning application.

Lisa Cameron, Lead Town Planner for the Levenmouth Project said: “The road bridge over the disused railway has been under weight restriction for many years due to the poor condition of the bridge deck and abutments.

“The work we will carry out on behalf of the Council will see the abutments and deck replaced and the bridge parapet height increased making the bridge both stronger and safer. This work cannot be done though without closing the road for an extended period.

“Our proposals will see a diversionary route built and a temporary bridge put in place to reduce inconvenience to the road network during the closure. We believe this is the best solution to deliver the work efficiently and minimise disruption for the local residents.”

Key dates proposed for the work to replace the Leven (Bawbee) bridge are currently anticipated to be as follows: (Subject to Planning Approval)

• Start of temporary road construction- June 2022
• Temporary road in use from – August 2022
• Leven Bridge renewal works - September 2022
• Removal of temporary road - August 2023

Temporary planning permission is therefore sought from 15th May 2022 until the 30th September 2023.

The proposed diversion route would take traffic from the A955/B933 roundabout, past the swimming pool car park and across the River Leven by way of a temporary bridge. Traffic would then join the existing road network at South Street (B932).

Upon completion of the works to Leven Bridge this temporary diversion route would be removed and traffic would revert to the normal route over the completed bridge.

The clickable downloads at the top left of the press release include a diagram of the road diversion and temporary bridge.

 

[D6130]

While sitting in the Down Loop at Thornton for twenty minutes on the SRPS 'Imperial Speysider' railtour on Saturday morning, I had a very good view of the works currently in progress. A brand new single track - complete with partially-tamped deep ballast - could be seen curving away into the distance as far as the eye could see. Meanwhile, on the East side of the line, an excavator had commenced digging out the bed for a second parallel track from an adjacent field, part of which has obviously been compulsorarily-purchased and fenced-off. Sorry I was unable to get any usable photos, as my smartphone has a fixed wide-angle lens which would not have been able to produce anything worthwhile for detail.

 

[Bald Rick]

part of which has obviously been compulsorarily-purchased and fenced-off.

small point of order, but I suspect it hasn’t been compulsorily purchased. More likely purchased through private treaty and negotiation, if it was needed to be purchased at all.

if it needed to be compulsorily purchased, it wold have taken a long time whilst orders were drafted, public inquiries had, recommendations sent to the relevant minister, and orders made.

 

[Wynd]

On the A2I upgrades a lot of land appeared to be borrowed, work sites setup in fields, but after the works was turned back over to the respective owners.

 

[snowball]

Another press release

In tents with purpose on Leven project

With the project to reinstate the Levenmouth Rail link now well underway, various elements of work are springing up across the route.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

With the project to reinstate the Levenmouth Rail link now well underway, various elements of work are springing up across the route.

With the proximity of the river and various streams which flow into it, one early and important task is the need to thoroughly inspect the bridges on the route to ensure they are in good condition and structurally sound to carry the new railway.

At five underbridges – structures which sit under the railway - along the route, we have carried out inspections and a programme of work is now underway to bring them up to scratch.

Each structure will be grit-blasted to remove the old paint from the bridge and take it back to the base metal. Corroded sections of the bridge will be replaced and repairs carried out where needed. New timber bridge decks will be installed to strengthen and support what will soon be a double-tracked railway running over them.

The bridge will then be repainted using a special paint system that will ensure it is water-proofed and coated to protect it for 25 years.

 

[snowball]

Another press release. Not a lot of new info.

Peter Grant MP visits Levenmouth Rail Link

As work continues to deliver the £116m Levenmouth Rail Link, Peter Grant, Member of Parliament (MP) for Glenrothes and Central Fife visited site to see first-hand progress that has been made on the project.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

As work continues to deliver the £116m Levenmouth Rail Link, Peter Grant, Member of Parliament (MP) for Glenrothes and Central Fife visited site to see first-hand progress that has been made on the project.

The plans for the Rail Link will see the construction of two new stations and the reinstatement of 19 single track kilometres of electrified railway which will reconnect Leven to the national rail network for the first time in more than half a century.

The local MP visited the site of what will be the new Cameron Bridge station and walked along the track bed to get a different perspective on the infrastructure that will be built, and the scale of the task to gain a better insight on what will be built and the scale of the challenge ahead for the project team.

Early progress has seen the reinstatement of the first section of rail to the west of the route at Thornton junction with significant work ongoing at a number of bridges along the six-mile corridor.

The team onsite is also currently working to finalise creation of the compound sites which will support the delivery of work over the next two years and preparing for the next phase of track works.

 

[rower40]

Is there to be any signalling on the branch? The costs shown in posts above do not have any component for signalling. At present, the stub is worked as "One-train-working" as far as Thornton Relay Room (controlled by Edinburgh Signalling Centre) is concerned, but that might be a bit tricky to interface to a double-track line with a terminus.

 

[najaB]

Is there to be any signalling on the branch? The costs shown in posts above do not have any component for signalling. At present, the stub is worked as "One-train-working" as far as Thornton Relay Room (controlled by Edinburgh Signalling Centre) is concerned, but that might be a bit tricky to interface to a double-track line with a terminus.

Surely there would have to be. Perhaps it's being costed in to a wider resignalling ahead of electrifying the Fife Circle?

 

[MadMac]

Is there to be any signalling on the branch? The costs shown in posts above do not have any component for signalling. At present, the stub is worked as "One-train-working" as far as Thornton Relay Room (controlled by Edinburgh Signalling Centre) is concerned, but that might be a bit tricky to interface to a double-track line with a terminus.

Not sure what the plan is, but Thornton is a 40+ year old geographical relay interlocking: the design expertise to alter it is somewhat thin on the ground (shameless plug - I know how to and am available at competitive rates!). I’d expect a complete renewal with something more modern.

 

[snowball]

New press release. Still saying completion spring 2024.

If I'm reading it correctly it says the single-lead junction with the main line will include an unusually long stretch of single track, by comparison with single-lead junctions elsewhere.

Safety message clear as Leven work ramps up

Work to build the second mile of new track on the Levenmouth Rail Link is now underway.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Work to build the second mile of new track on the Levenmouth Rail Link is now underway.

The second phase of track work continues to take the railway closer to Leven and is the first section of the reinstated railway which will be double-tracked.

Following the successful completion of the first mile in March, which included connecting to the mainline at Thornton junction, significant work followed to install drainage and troughing for cable routes.

The first mile is now complete and will shortly be commissioned and enter into service as operational railway to enable engineering trains to assist in the delivery of subsequent phases of work.

And with this in mind, the project team are keen to reiterate the message that local people should not now be using the area to avoid coming into contact with engineering trains, railway plant and machinery delivering the work.

With all traces of the original track lifted and existing ballast removed to reveal the formation level of the track-bed, work will focus on rebuilding the railway solum wide enough to accommodate both running lines.

In order to ensure enough space for the new double-track sections, some work is required to reprofile sections of embankment adjacent to the line.

The new track-bed will then be formed, before ballast which has been stock-piled in Thornton yard which will be delivered to where it is needed ahead of new sleepers being positioned and rails being placed.

Joe Mulvenna, Project Manager for the Levenmouth Rail Link Project said:

“We are delighted with progress on the project to date and look forward to continuing to bring the new railway to Leven and the surrounding areas.

“Various elements of work are underway or ongoing all across the route and activity is set to ramp-up even further in the coming months and so we are asking people who have previously used the area to walk dogs, for leisure or for exercise to please find an alternative.

“Increased work activity means more vehicle movements and the first-mile section will be a live railway and so very dangerous. Our priority is safety, both of the local people and for those working hard to deliver the project, and the best way to promote safety is by now asking local people not to continue to use the railway corridor.”

Notes to Editors

Following successful completion of a range of preparatory activities the project to deliver the new Levenmouth Rail kicked off in March 2022.

Work includes:

• 19 single track kilometres of new / reinstated railway. (Fully double tracked railway)
• Two new modern accessible stations
• Electrification of the line
• Work with partners to optimise interchange options connecting stations
• Opportunities in freight and tourist/charter connections

The investment value of the project is £116.6m
The programme is scheduled to complete in Spring 2024

Current Status:
Work to upgrade Thornton North Junction was completed during a line closure on Sunday 6th March. This enabled the connection onto what will be the Levenmouth branch line.
The project has completed the first mile of track, which has now been commissioned and will be used to support construction of the subsequent phases of work on the project
Current work to the west of the route includes fencing, re-profiling of embankments, drainage and cabling and track works. Bridge works are ongoing along the length of the rail corridor.

• It is anticipated that Station designs will be complete and planning applications made later in Autumn 2022

 

[MadMac]

New press release. Still saying completion spring 2024.

If I'm reading it correctly it says the single-lead junction with the main line will include an unusually long stretch of single track, by comparison with single-lead junctions elsewhere.

Safety message clear as Leven work ramps up

Work to build the second mile of new track on the Levenmouth Rail Link is now underway.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

That initial section borders a golf course. Possibly trying to acquire land was considered a fight not worth having?

 

[najaB]

If I'm reading it correctly it says the single-lead junction with the main line will include an unusually long stretch of single track, by comparison with single-lead junctions elsewhere.

I read it that way too, but given the likely service frequency I don't imagine that would be much of a problem. If memory serves correct a train can be held in the passenger loop at Thornton and still reach the branch, so that'll work if there's disruption.

 

[Railsigns]

If memory serves correct a train can be held in the passenger loop at Thornton and still reach the branch, so that'll work if there's disruption.

Unfortunately not. The Down loop is beyond the junction, and the Up loop is inaccessible to Down direction trains.

 

[najaB]

Unfortunately not. The Down loop is beyond the junction, and the Up loop is inaccessible to Down direction trains.

Okay, thanks for the correction.

 

[mcmad]

More about Transport Scotland not being willing to fund the remodelling of Thornton North Junction to allow for double tracking all the way. Skimping like on Borders & East Kilbride.

 

[Acfb]

More about Transport Scotland not being willing to fund the remodelling of Thornton North Junction to allow for double tracking all the way. Skimping like on Borders & East Kilbride.

Does it need to be double tracked as presumably it will never have more than 2tph? (not dissimilar to the North Berwick branch) I do agree on East Kilbride though and to a lesser extent Borders (if only to run extra services as far as Gorebridge and possible future Tweedbank 'express' services).

 

[mcmad]

they obviously think so as the remainder (~6 miles) of the branch is fully double track but there is a pinch point just where you don't want one, on the main line. The schedule also needs to allow for freight paths to the Diageo plant.

 

[D6130]

That initial section borders a golf course. Possibly trying to acquire land was considered a fight not worth having?

Was the Thornton Junction - Leven section not originally double track? If so, there surely shouldn't be any need to acquire land from the golf course.