Balfour Beatty Rail scoops Crossrail design contract

Balfour Beatty Rail has won a major design contract for Crossrail for works on the 3km stretch from Plumstead to Abbey Wood in south-east London.

As well as the design for the new Abbey Wood station, which is the terminus station on the south east section of the Crossrail route, it includes two new Crossrail platforms and improved access. In addition, a four-track railway will be created requiring Network Rail to improve five bridges and build two new overhead electrified railway lines between Plumstead portal and Abbey Wood.

Robbie Burns, programme director, Network Rail, said: “This work will deliver design work which will support the capacity requirements to carry 12 Crossrail trains per hour from the central tunnel section to Abbey Wood. The transformed Abbey Wood station will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the surrounding area and provide opportunities for local employment, meeting the development aspirations of the two London boroughs it will serve, Greenwich and Bexley.”

Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network, covering 70km of track and 28 stations from Maidenhead in the west to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.