Wednesday 22 January 2020

Balfour Beatty electrifies 77km of trainline between Bristol and Cardiff

Balfour Beatty has successfully completed the electrification of 77 kilometres of the Great Western Railway (GWR) line between Bristol and Cardiff.

Working on behalf of Network Rail to deliver its overall Greater West Electrification Programme to electrify 275 kilometres of train line between Cardiff and London, the firm put more than 4,200 masts and booms into place - these are responsible for holding up the 643 kilometres of overhead electric cabling required.

The first electrified train ran out of Cardiff Central Station on 6th January - the upgrades are expected to slash the carbon footprint of the line by enabling trains to run without being powered by fossil fuels.

Mick Rayner, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Rail business, said: "We are proud to have successfully delivered part of the largest modernization project on the Great Western Railway which we been working on for the past three years.

"Delivering this important upgrade to the Welsh rail network will provide a more sustainable way of travelling for tens of thousands of commuters."