Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre Infrastructure Upgrade


Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, appointed Trackwork Ltd as the principal contractor for a major redevelopment of its 135-acre mainline-connected site, bringing the company’s investment in the site to £75m.

The project offers several improvements to the existing rail facility inluding:

  • Individual outer and inner loops
  • Remodelled access to the existing sidings from the new inner loop
  • 8 No. 400m+ new stabling sidings
  • 2 No. 200m+ new electrified stabling sidings
  • New track connecting the site east to west, providing an opportunity to both turn rail vehicles and bypass other infrastructure

Trackwork were appointed for Grip 2 Feasibility Study Design through to GRIP 5 detailed Design, and construction of the Civils and Permanent Way Works. The S&C and track materials were manufactured and/or supplied by trackwork.

The civils scope of works included:

  • Full Civils Design
  • Formation of new 120m x 5.8m wide access road
  • URX (Under Road) / UTX (Under Track) Crossing Installations
  • Vehicle Over-height Detection System
  • Signage and Barrier Installation
  • Replacement and reconstruction of Middle Road Culvert
  • Track formation, including excavation of 25,000m3 of material

The permanent way scope of works included:

  • 11km of new track on 17,000 sleepers
  • Installation of 37,000 tones of ballast
  • Design, manufacture and installation of 10 No. buffer stops
  • 40 No. switch & crossings units (manufactured in-house by Trackwork)
  • Level Crossing replacement
  • Associated civils works including road modifications, walkways, troughing, culverts etc