Haigh Rail Limited’s Track Division has commenced works at York Railway Museum.

Over time, the rails on the roads around the turntable have been sinking, so our Track team has been investigating and then replacing any decaying timbers as a priority. The roads have an interesting make-up with an inspection pit forming the 1^st half and the 2^nd half embedded in concrete.

The image shows the investigation works, whereby our track experts lifted the pit boards to determine the extent.

Works are being delivered in two stages to keep walkways open for the public.

Stage 1 was the Inspection Pit area, which has involved breaking out 500mm channels in concrete either side of the existing rails to remove the rails and supporting timbers. From there, the team will renew the timbers and re-install the rails to line, level and gauge. Stage 1 will be completed through concrete preparation, drilling starter bars, installing mesh, shutters and finally the concrete pour.

Stage 2 covers the embedded rail section of the road and will incorporate a large volume of break out and spoil removal. The area will be checked for its integrity and then prepped for a final concrete pour including all reinforcement installation and shutters.

The works have been fast-tracked to date to minimise disruption and are due for completion shortly.

A case study will follow, so look out for that works completion update very soon!

Thanks to Engineering Director Dan Foster and the track team for their works to date.

Haigh Rail Limited is pleased to announce the award of a four-year framework to provide a variety of track works on behalf of client Midland Metro Ltd (MML), who has full responsibility for operating and maintaining the West Midlands Metro tram network.

As part of this contract, Haigh Rail Limited will act as the Principal Contractor, and in the majority of projects also act as Principal Designer for a range of track work types; including gauge restoration, rail replacement, ballasted rail works, tram stop rail replacement and embedded rail works.

Delivery of this contract will require flexible planning to ensure safety critical works are delivered to meet the authorities’ requirements.

The framework will be led by Director Keiran Clarke and Project Manager Matthew Bowyer-Hill. Additionally, Engineering Director Dan Foster will support with track know-how from his vastly experienced engineering, supervisory and delivery teams. All of these personnel were instrumental in the success of this award.

Furthermore, Haigh Rail Limited will utilise Professional Head of Welding Mick Downing and his Welding Division to support welding activities as required.

Managing Director Chris Haigh added:

“We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as MML’s framework partner and we very much look forward to working collaboratively to deliver first class track engineering projects with MML, supporting passengers on their daily journey’s and enhancing the local communities where we work.”

Haigh Rail’s Track Division, led by Engineering Director Dan Foster, has supported and assisted Network Rail with some points upgrade works at Phillips Park in Manchester.

The scope included replacement of timbers, ironwork, squaring points and regauging.

The project commenced on Friday 8th March 2023 and was handed back on time, successfully on 13th March 2023.

Great work from our track team.

Our Track Division is an established multi-disciplinary track renewal and maintenance service provider that delivers permanent way projects covering renewals, maintenance and engineering services. These are the services delivered:

• S&C Plain Lining and New Track Installation
• Hollow Bearer Installation
• Plain Line Installation
• Point Condition Surveys
• IBJ (Insulated Block Joints) and HB Surveys (Hollow bearer)
• IBJ Installation and Recovery
• Stressing/Tamping/Handback Works
• Track Monitoring

These activities are supported by our in house Welding Division.

Haigh Rail Limited has undertaken a Rope Access Core Drilling project at Dewsbury Station. The works to the station retaining wall included: 

• 5No 75mm Horizontal Cores to a depth of 3m.
• 4No 75mm Inclined Cores to a depth of 3m.
• 1No 150mm Core to a depth of 300mm to allow for strength testing.
• Vegetation clearance to facilitate a trial pit at the base of the retaining wall.
• Reinstatement of core holes with sandstone grout.

Haigh Rail used its Level 1 IRATA operatives to deliver the project work under the management of its Level 3 IRATA Supervisor and a PIC.

All works were successfully completed during a midweek blockade of the railway and completed on schedule.

Haigh Rail Limited’s Civils Division undertakes core drilling for rail and infrastructure clients throughout the UK. The team is additionally IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) certificated, which has allowed the business to complete complex sites along the railway and highway infrastructure as an alternative option to scaffolding. Having in-house IRATA Level 3 operatives, enables us to deliver a fully managed service for clients. Our roped access systems are commonly used for vegetation removal, diamond core drilling at height and asset examination work.

Haigh Rail Limited is delighted to share exciting news for its Haulage Division – Haigh Haulage – with the unveiling of a new Scania eight wheeled rigid wagon. The wagon has a 71 tonne/metre FASSI crane and full 360 degree lifting capability due to front legs being fitted. The wagon also has slue locks installed for working railway lineside/adjacent line open working.

All drivers at Haigh Rail Limited are fully trained with PTS, CPCS, ALLMI crane training, First Aid and ALO training. Haigh Rail Limited also has lift planning and Appointed Person capability should clients require this support.

The new wagon is fully compliant with all the latest safety and environmental features including cyclist cameras, recording cameras, Euro 6, side restraints and is available nationwide for all rail related projects, with cable A frames for cable distribution.

For more information and to work with our professional team, please contact our Haulage Manager – duncan@haighrail.com or call 01772 458000 for further details.

Haigh Resourcing – Haigh Rail Limited’s civils and vegetation management division – has completed a rope access core drilling and vegetation clearance project using its IRATA certificated teams.

This latest site at Lower Wharf Street, included vegetation clearance of a redundant subway and 2No 75mm Cores to a depth of 3 metres. The subway itself was situated beneath track level, so Haigh Rail Limited cleared all vegetation to expose the subway shaft. Our IRATA Level 3 Operative then set up anchor points off the palisade fence, to enable our IRATA Level 1 Operatives to descend safely and set up the core drilling rig.

An endoscopy of each hole was undertaken, the core holes were then reinstated and a report provided for the TRU project, including a detailed analysis of each core sample.

Haigh Rail Limited’s Civils Division undertakes core drilling for rail clients throughout the UK. The team is additionally IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) certificated, which has allowed us to recently complete a complex site at Ashton Viaduct on the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The location had no access beneath the viaduct, so all works had to be carried out with rope access. 

Haigh Rail successfully delivered 12no 75mm cores at a depth of 3 metres on the North and South elevations of the viaduct. Possession of the line was taken to enable our IRATA Level 3 Operative to set up anchor points to the rails. IRATA Level 1 Operatives then descended down into position and set up the core drilling rigs. On completion of each core, our operatives used an endoscope to record the backing material of the structure. Once the endoscopy was complete, reinstatement of the core holes commenced. 

All core samples were sent off for analysis, so that a full report could be produced for the client. Works were successfully carried out during a 27hr blockade.

Haigh Rail Limited is delighted to have been given the opportunity to sponsor and support St Peter’s GAA U15 Gaelic football team. The club is based in Manchester and only re-started its underage teams earlier this year. The team will be based at Sedgley Park RUFC and will be proudly wearing their new kit every second weekend from September 21 to May 22 across pitches and clubs in Greater Manchester (looking superb – being the usual top quality from O’Neill’s).

MD Chris Haigh added: “As a corporately responsible business, we are delighted to be supporting the Greater Manchester community and the young people in it. We wish them all the very best for the coming season”.

Principal Contractor, Haigh Rail Limited is delighted to announce the appointment of Alison Rawson. Alison joins as Delivery Director to oversee day-to-day operations, covering contract management, project controls and commercial management functions, as the business continues to grow and prosper. Alison will report into Managing Director Chris Haigh, forming a senior management team alongside Divisional Directors Dan Foster, Keiran Clarke and Mick Downing and Finance Director Claire Haigh.

This appointment will allow MD Chris Haigh to step aside from day to day matters, in order to focus on strategic support and other projects, such as the further development of Haigh Rail Limited across its extensive divisional offerings in Track, Civils, Vegetation Management, Haulage and Level Crossing works.

Alison joins us from Tier 1 Contractor, Siemens Rail Automation, where she was a Senior Project Manager at their Manchester office, delivering multi-disciplinary signalling schemes throughout their project lifecycle.

MD Chris Haigh added:
“We welcome Alison to the senior management team. This is an important appointment for both myself and the wider business. Alison is a consummate rail professional and we all look forward to working with her.”

Haigh Rail Limited has passed its annual RISQS audit this week – a key accreditation that is held by the business in order to deliver its contracting services in permanent way, welding, minor civils, minor building and vegetation management – as a key supplier to the UK rail industry.

Chris Haigh, Managing Director, has this to say:
“A very successful outcome, with lots of positives too. Many thanks to all concerned, in particular our HSQE team for their support. This added to our Trackside PCL renewal, demonstrates our ability to deliver projects throughout their lifecycle, safely and with quality outcomes.”

This stringent annual audit of its management systems allows Haigh Rail Limited to provide evidence that both the company and its project delivery meet the necessary health, safety, operational and competence requirements of the UK rail industry.

Haigh Rail Limited has recently been successfully re-assessed by the Welding Fabricator Certification

Scheme (WFCS). Haigh Rail’s Welding Division were able to satisfactorily demonstrate welding fabricator compliance with BS EN ISO 3834 “Quality Requirements for Welding”.  Accredited by UKAS, this certification provides independent verification of our company’s welding and fabricating capabilities, providing evidence of compliance with European and International Standards.

The benefit for certificated companies under the WFCS include:

• clear, high profile independent verification of compliance with BS EN ISO 3834
• independent confirmation of competence for its welding and fabricating capabilities
• welding quality management and fabrication capability assessments carried out by specialist assessors
• increased national and international business potential through demonstrated compliance with the welding quality requirements of a wide range of emerging International and European product standards
• compliance with EU Directives and European and International Standards

Mick Downing, Haigh Rail Director and Professional Head of Welding added the following comment:

“Delighted with the confirmation of our re-assessment, with no non-conformances and not a single observation relating to our processes, records and procedures – a fantastic effort. Special thanks to Martin Allen for being lead RWC, working with TWI Certification’s Lead Assessor and providing the necessary evidence to enable another successful result for Haigh Rail Limited.”

Haigh Rail Limited is pleased to announce that its Trackside Principal Contractors Licence (PCL) has been assessed and renewed by Network Rail until October 2023. This allows the company to continue to deliver in its own right as a main contractor on Network Rail UK controlled infrastructure not only managing their own works, but also other suppliers and sub-contractors works too.

Following the completion of a comprehensive audit, Network Rail were satisfied with Haigh Rail’s approach to both railway assurance and the management and delivery of railway works.

Haigh Rail’s Managing Director, Chris Haigh, commented, saying:

“With direct contracts with Network Rail, our strategy is to manage and deliver fully managed projects throughout the country. With strategically placed depots in the Midlands, the North East and the North West and works being successfully delivered from Watford in the South to Carlisle in the North, we are geared up and ready.

“This renewal is testament to our wholehearted commitment to rail assurance. Railways are at the very core of our business and our people.

“We look forward to future collaboration with Network Rail and our rail industry partners to extend our core permanent way, civils and vegetation management offering – demonstrating further how our directly employed and managed workforce are capable of delivering rail projects effectively.”

Haigh Rail’s Track Division, supported by its in-house Welders, have been busy over the last few months and it shows no signs of abating either.

The in-house team has been installing Hollow Bearers and installing and recovering IBJ’s in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Manchester.

The P-Way team has also been planning the conversion of a large number of Point Ends, as well as the abandonment of a number of S&C units in the North West.

Haigh Rail have a long established track renewal and maintenance delivery arm for track covering renewals, maintenance and engineering services, including a supporting welding division. The engineering team, led by Dan Foster, deliver the following services for permanent way projects:

• S&C Plain Lining and New Track Installation
• Hollow Bearer Installation
• Plain Line Installation
• Point Condition Surveys
• IBJ (Insulated Block Joints) and HB Surveys (Hollow bearer)
• IBJ Installation and Recovery
• Stressing/Tamping/Handback Works
• Track Monitoring

Haigh Rail has successfully completed 500m of Palisade fencing. The package of works included a fully managed service offering covering vegetation clearance, removal of existing fencing and installation of new Palisade.

Works were delivered with a managed road closure in place and involved significant hand excavation due to the close proximity of services.

Specifically, the scope of works covered:

• Vegetation clearance of hedge row and trees
• Stumps being cut flush with ground level
• The existing fence was dismantled and removed from site
• Hand digging of holes due to services
• Installation of new palisade
• Grading the verge and tidying the road prior to the road closure being lifted

Chris Haigh, MD of Haigh Rail added:

“This is another great example of Haigh Rail’s capability. These railway project works were expertly managed and delivered considerately by our in-house Fencing and Vegetation Management teams.”

www.haighrail.com

Haigh Rail has supported the successful commissioning of Ditton, over a busy bank holiday weekend for the team. Ditton is the final stage of the Weaver to Wavertree Resignalling Scheme, where Haigh Rail has been engaged as a delivery partner since 2017 for their client Siemens.

Over the weekend, Haigh Rail’s in-house Track and Welding Divisions installed and recovered several Insulated Block Joints (IBJ’s) including all welding and stressing – during this project Haigh Rail has installed 31No new and recovered 222No IBJ’s.

The entire track scope of works has included S&C Abandonments – a set of traps which were plain lined – and track circuit works covering heavy maintenance, including the renewal of ballast, sleepers and components. Haigh Rail’s works have also included 14No Point End conversions from HW and Mechanical POE to Clamp Locks.

Haigh Rail also installed final OLE bonding in 16No locations along the route and undertook some last-minute bonding changes too, when the final MOD was issued.

Haigh Resourcing, the Civils Division of Haigh Rail, were also involved, successfully completing 4No LOC recoveries along the route and then making good the areas that were recovered.

The Civils team also undertook a strip out of Ditton Signal Box Panel – once it was fully decommissioned by the Siemens T&C team.

Haigh’s Vegetation Management team were also involved, carrying out de-vegetation works in multiple areas around PZTs, LOCs, and signal and speed board sighting areas. They also completed some further preparation works in advance of an upcoming piece of work.

These multi-trade works were fully co-ordinated by Haigh Rail’s management and supervision and the company is pleased to say that there were no accidents or incidents.

Managing Director, Chris Haigh, was heavily involved in this weekend’s work and send his praise to all involved:
“A great team effort, with Haigh Rail and Siemens teams working in harmony – planning work together, collaborating effectively and delivering safely.”

www.haighrail.com

Haigh Rail are delighted to announce the migration of our safety accreditation to the new 45001 standard and have further merged this with our Quality (9001:2015) and Environmental (14001:2015), to create an integrated management system solution in order to maximise business benefits.

Through alignment of this new standard and our OH&S management system with other ISO management systems we have in place, Haigh Rail has streamlined its processes in order to increase efficiency and save time and money.  This new standard will help to deliver the following benefits:

• Increasing our organisational resilience through proactive risk prevention, innovation and continual improvement
• Strengthening of legal and regulatory compliance
• Greater brand responsibility by committing to safe, healthy and sustainable work
• A single occupational health and safety system for our businesses, supporting all our divisions in the management/delivery of track, welding and civils & labour contracts

This would not have been achieved without the hard work many, but in particular our HSE and Compliance Team of HSEQ Manager, Duncan Murray and Compliance Advisor, Steve Simpson, from Simpson Consulting.

Speaking on the news, MD Chris Haigh, said:

“Health, Safety and Compliance are central to our business. Transitioning to the new ISO 45001 standard is a testament to our dedication to the safety and wellbeing of our staff and any other interested parties.”

Haigh Rail’s Civils and Labour Division – Haigh Resourcing – is progressing well with a significant fencing scheme covering 42km in the Midlands for a large Tier One organisation.

Director Keiran Clarke and his Senior team of Senior PM Grant Gleave and Contracts Manager Ed Anderson, have all been involved in planning and managing the works to date. The continuity of also being involved from the tender stage, has provided the senior team with full insight of the project, enabling swift mobilisation and facilitation of the contract, which has enhanced the overall progress and the quality of the works to date.

Haigh Rail is responsible for all site engineering for setting out the fencing line, the provision of site management, site supervision and providing skilled and competent fencing teams.

Managing Director Chris Haigh added:

“Great progress to date from the team, the quality of the works is of the highest order. This is testament to the approach we take across the lifecycle of any project and the meticulous planning and preparation that goes into every scheme we deliver.”

The company are specialists in the supply and installation of Railway Boundary, Security and Temporary Fencing for Network Rail, TFL and Light Rail systems, as well as Fencing installations for other transport infrastructure and construction sites.

They have vast experience installing the following products on railways, other transport infrastructure and construction sites throughout the UK.

• Boundary Fencing
• Security Fencing
• Railway Fencing
• Temporary Fencing
• Gates
• Handrailing

Haigh Rail remain fully operational and are taking additional precautions to safeguard our people, customers and others we come into contact with.

Our Head Office and other Regional Facilities are all available to support you and we have flexibility to undertake more activities both midweek and weekends if desired.

If you are an existing customer with projects booked in with us, please get in touch to discuss all the options available – we are here to help.

Our divisional teams provide a critical service to the rail and wider infrastructure communities – we can and will provide the very best service during these exceptional times.

So do please contact us for any support you require.

Following a recent tender award, Haigh Rail have been undertaking intensive railway design and build works to extend the Road 5 reinforced concrete track slab. The works, which have been successfully completed, were to allow the train operator sufficient space to install temporary buildings for ongoing rolling stock repair and maintenance works.

The slab extension covers an area of 40m x 12m (480m2) and involved the removal and reinstatement of track and components, to facilitate the excavation and formation of the new concrete pad. The new slab was also required to tie into the existing plinth, which was completed by drilling and fixing steel dowels, which were secured into existing slab structure with a two-pack epoxy resin. Like any extensive concrete extension, the slab was poured in sections to suit expansion requirements.

Haigh Rail acted as the Principal Contractor throughout the works and appointed a civils designer from its supply chain. Integrating Design and Construction was fundamental to this project with track and civils elements working in harmony through Haigh Rail’s multi-disciplinary engineering and delivery team. This single, combined approach enabled the full D&B process to be managed and all build challenges to be closed out through close co-operation from the design team into site constructability.

The project also included rebuilding drainage inspection chambers and installing electric ducting for cable installations and in compliance with Haigh Rail’s sustainable policy, a full waste management hierarchy was instigated, with all items separated and recycled via licensed materials handlers.

Full materials testing was completed with as built documentation supplied as part of the handover pack.

Haigh Rail’s meticulous approach to surveying, railway engineering and on-site delivery provided complete project surety, with the track being installed first and then the concrete placed thereafter. Despite challenging winter conditions, the works were completed on time, to budget – to the delight of the customer, who was 100% satisfied with the end result.

Haigh Rail Ltd has achieved Gold Membership status with Constructionline. This provides rail and construction customers who require this standard, with the necessary assurance about the standards we adopt with regards to safety, quality and environmental management.

In being awarded Gold Membership status, Haigh Rail have passed stringent validation checks and have completed a comprehensive qualification process, meeting the credentials for environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence, anti-bribery and corruption policies as well as the criteria of Constructionline’s Safety Systems in Procurement (SSIP) scheme.

As a Principal Contractor to Network Rail, rigorous assessments of our HSQE systems are very much the norm. So, we are proud to display our gold medal status alongside our other accreditations and send thanks to our SHEQ Manager, Duncan Murray, for leading us through another audit with flying colours.

Achieving this enhanced membership level is reflected in Haigh Rail’s position as leading Track and Welding, Civils, Vegetation Management and Haulage partner within the rail sector, with an outstanding record in respect of the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff, quality of delivery and sustainable approach.

Managing Director, Chris Haigh added:

“Many leading Constructionline buyers are now stipulating Gold as the desired standard for their suppliers, and we are pleased to have achieved an enhanced level that is most appropriate to the expectations of any current or future clients.”

You can learn more about Constructionline here: www.constructionline.co.uk/

Haigh Rail is pleased to publish a new edition of its Newsletter – Tracking Progress.

The last period has been busy and successful for Haigh Rail, with a number of projects and some new developments that have seen the company grow and expand.

You can read more by clicking this link.

Haigh Rail Limited’s August 2019 Newsletter

Haigh Rail has supported the Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley, for a number of years. The charity helps children and young people, whose lives are too short, to make happy memories in an environment of fun, respect and above all, high quality care.

This weekend Haigh Rail held a charity function, which Chris Haigh and Claire Webley kindly hosted. It included champagne and canapes on arrival for the guests, in order to raise funds for this important local cause.

Following a successful day Claire added:

“I couldn’t think of anything better than to host an event whilst simultaneously raising funds for such a wonderful, heart-warming cause.”

https://lnkd.in/dKnGNJj

We are delighted to announce that Haigh Rail Limited has secured two new five-year CP6 contracts with Network Rail, having been selected to deliver track maintenance and renewals works between 2019 and 2024 on one of the UK’s major rail routes.

The award covers rail frameworks for Permanent Way for the entire London North Western (LNW) route, which runs from London Euston in the South, through the West Midlands, the North West of England and Cumbria before joining with Scotland at Gretna. It is home to the West Coast Mainline – the busiest mixed use railway in Europe – and supports the major British cities outside of London.

The workscope comprises of specialist support to the LNW North and South Network Operations teams. This includes minor maintenance and renewals of the permanent way covering:

1. Re railing
2. Full or spot re sleepering
3. Re ballasting
4. Plain line component replacement
5. Full Rail, sleeper, ballast renewal
6. S&C component replacement
7. Renewal of way beams
8. Drainage refurbishment and renewal.
9. Scrap collection and line of route clearance

This is fantastic news for Haigh Rail, with the five-year contract period allowing the company to further plan and invest for the future through a greater commitment to its workforce.

Haigh Rail’s Managing Director, Chris Haigh added:

“As a business, we set a target to move further South in addition to our established presence in the North and seeing that come to fruition is just brilliant. These contract wins demonstrate that we are seen as a go-to organisation for Minor Track Renewals and Maintenance for the entire LNW Region.

“These frameworks should allow us to extensively engage our existing track and welding end-to-end offering and also bring through the ranks even more talent to the rail industry, through the likes of our established apprenticeship programme.

“I am very pleased with these awards and send my thanks to our talented team, who have helped make this possible. Their continued hard work and dedication is incredible and supports our pledge to deliver first class railway engineering for all Network Rail stakeholders.”

Haigh Rail, in its support for rail industry progression, is supporting three Apprentices through a bespoke Level 4 Rail Engineering Apprenticeship qualification, at the Doncaster National College for High Speed Rail.

The Level 4 Rail Engineering qualification is broken into two separate elements. These comprise of a Technical Certificate (knowledge element) and a Competence Certificate (practical element). During the competence element, the Apprentice will construct a portfolio of evidence gathered against the qualification standard requirements and an amount of classroom learning will also need to take place.

Existing Trainees, Jordan Jones and Kieran Herron, are being upskilled through this course, alongside newly appointed Apprentice David Phiri. Both Managing Director Chris Haigh and Engineering Director Dan Foster, have worked their way up the ranks via a similar approach and this process of education, is very much part of Haigh Rail’s culture and its future too.

Haigh Rail’s Apprentice Scheme, has received additional support from partner Siemens Mobility via their CITB levy, which Haigh Rail acknowledges its part in the company’s exciting and progressive next chapter.

To this end, today witnesses the end of the first block release for the three Rail Engineering Apprentices. Trevor Whitehead, Haigh Rail’s Business Support Manager, who has been working closely with the three Rail Apprentices, met them following the completion of this milestone – and was the first to congratulate them, saying:

“Feedback from both the College and our Apprentices has been very positive and Haigh Rail are very pleased with the progress that’s been made”

Kieran Herron, one of the Apprentices also added:

“We’ve been made to feel very welcome and the interaction and support between the Haigh Rail Team and the college has been very supportive. The last two weeks has seen us taking a deeper look at the interaction between industry standards, H&S legislation and regulations within the rail industry.

“I’m really looking forward to our next block release in September.”

(Pictured left to right – Jordan Jones Apprentice, Kieran Herron Apprentice, Trevor Whitehead BSM, David Phiri Apprentice)

Following recent verification of Haigh Rail Limited’s assessment against the Cyber Essentials Standard by Secarma, we are delighted to say that our business has met the requirements of the scheme, and have been certificated as compliant.

The Certificate certifies that we have been assessed as meeting the Cyber Essentials implementation profile [BIS/14/696/1.5] and that at the time of testing, the organisation’s ICT defences were assessed as satisfactory against commodity based cyber-attack.

Managing Director Chris Haigh added:

“As part of our business strategy, we are always looking to develop safer systems of work. So, it’s a very big thanks to our business leaders and our supply chain partner IT 24/7 for supporting this latest achievement.

“With businesses these days so reliant on IT, our cyber policy, supporting systems and partners, help protect us against a range of risks associated with digital technology in order to provide critical support in case of a cyber event.”

Haigh Rail has been acting as the PCL, working in partnership with Tony Gee and Partners (TGP),  to enable them to access the Network Rail infrastructure safely and also assist with site investigation and clearance works required, in order to determine options for a track doubling scheme. This forms part of the outline business case to improve connectivity to Birmingham International Station.

Window samples were taken generally to obtain the properties of the soil that the railway was built on. Trial pits on bridges were undertaken generally to confirm if any of the masonry arch structures had backing over the arches, which increases the load carrying capacity of the bridge. Vegetation clearance was also undertaken, to enable lines of sight so TGP could carry out their topographical surveys.

Project Overview:

The strategy for the Route is to divert CrossCountry services travelling from the South Coast to the North East via Coventry rather than via Solihull. This would improve connectivity for Birmingham Airport, along with the High Speed (HS2) station at Birmingham Interchange once it has been constructed in 2026. To accommodate the changes to CrossCountry services and the arrival of HS2 there may be some changes to infrastructure between Rugby and Birmingham via Coventry.

The previous analysis on the Coventry to Leamington section found that a section of single track is a constraint to rerouting the CrossCountry service and delivering the Indicative Train Service Specification (ITSS). The analysis concluded that doubling the track between Kenilworth and Leamington Spa may be required.

The Objective of this Project is to:

• Provide the information required for the Outline Business Case for the improved connectivity to Birmingham International Station.
• To divert a CrossCountry Service from the Solihull Corridor to Birmingham International via Coventry.
• Activities to include:
• Timetable Modelling to identify the constraints in the existing layout and propose intervention options;
• Interim and Final Option Selection report detailing the intervention options and the relative merits and shortcomings for each intervention option.
• Design development for the selected interventions.

TGP were very pleased with the support that was provided by Haigh Rail.  We look forward to working together again soon.

Railway Infrastructure Contractor, Haigh Rail, is delighted to announce that it has three new vans on the road today.

One of the new vans is for Dan Foster’s Track Division, for one of his Senior Permanent Way Supervisors’ and two new vans are for Keiran Clarke’s Civils and Resourcing Division and Vegetation Management Division, which will be working exclusively for his de-veg teams.

These new vehicles come from our supply chain partner Iveco Walton Summit, as part of our long-term strategy with them for ongoing fleet upgrades and wider compliance management.

With great thanks to Marko, Nigel and the team, for the continued great service, going the extra mile, including all the specific divisional requirements such as chapter 8 livery, ply lining, racking, tow-bars, work lights and tracker systems.

Haigh Rail is Railway Principal Contractor and a trusted and established name in the rail industry for delivering first-class engineering solutions. We have a proven track record of producing outstanding work for some of the biggest contractors and operators. Our priority is to deliver all work safely, on time, on budget and to a first-class specification. Haigh Rail directly employs a group of project managers, engineers and supervisory managers; each selected for their expertise and track record of safety and delivery within the rail industry and also employs Apprentices in order to continue the business legacy.

www.haighrail.com

Our vegetation control teams are progressing their contract nicely, having delivered 90% of their clearance works in advance of their customer Morgan Sindall’s earthworks, for the Werrington Grade Separation Project on the East Coast Main Line.

The idea of the project is to create a ‘dive under’ from the slow GNGE lines so that they can avoid the fast lines and re-join on the far slow Stamford Lines – effectively tunnelling under the fast lines so that it can re-join the slow lines on the other side. It’s all to increase capacity of 125mph trains as a result of the slow trains coming into Werrington Junction, which in turn slow down the 125mph trains as they currently join onto the fast lines.

The customer have been extremely happy with the quality and timely delivery of our works and as a result, we have also undertaken additional clearance works not included in the original scope – these have also been undertaken safely and on schedule.

Our experienced team have undertaken a large amount of work in the last few months, working in a productive manner, safely and with collaborative mindset and can-do attitude.  These works have included:

• 1.25miles of track side and off-track clearance for the new route
• Werrington Junction Triangle cleared to allow the north end dive under
• 4000m2 of dense sycamore trees cleared to allow for a crane platform to lift out an existing footbridge
• Numerous roadside clearances to allow for the new GNGE route
• 5No UTX locations have been cleared
• Lloyds Field Compound trees cleared
• Hurn Road Compound trees cleared

Haigh Vegetation Management provides a safe, secure and cost effective service to our clients in respect of vegetation control. Its highly qualified team of skilled and trained personnel and are able to undertake de-veg works 24/7, on behalf of customers operating throughout the UK infrastructure industry.

Read more about us here: www.haighvegetationmanagement.com

Haigh Rail has been awarded and just commenced a significant brickwork package at Wigan Springs Depot.

The company which has a Civils and Labour division led by Keiran Clarke – Haigh Resourcing – will be completing brickwork repairs to retaining walls.  Works include removing and replacing defective brickwork, opening joints and re-pointing, removing vegetation, repairing spalled brickwork, stitch and grout repairs to fractured wall sections and repairing/replacing coping stones.

The company which has depots in Crewe, Preston and Doncaster, will be using its team of specialists to complete these works and will also call upon its in-house de-veg team to advise and carry-out the appropriate works in respect of the knotweed and tree-stump removals.

The company offers a fully managed lump sum, fixed price delivery service, providing a full turnkey labour, plant and materials solution for our clients projects.

Typical fixed price projects include:

• Excavation and Earthworks
• Steel Reinforcement
• Bridge Replacement and Repairs
• Heritage Projects
• Troughing Works
• General Building Works
• Grouting Works
• Confined Spaces Works
• Drilling and Grouting
• Core Drilling
• Reinforced Concrete Construction
• Formwork
• Brickwork and Masonry
• Ducting
• Under Track and Road Crossings
• Tunnel Repairs
• Mortar Repairs
• Gabion Baskets
• De-Vegetation Works

https://www.haighrail.com/civils-labour/

Great news! Haigh Training has passed their NSAR quality assurance inspection.

This follows on from our NSAR accreditation earlier this year and is part of a regular process of audit and inspection to assure the quality and commitment of the UK rail industry’s training providers. These include:

• Standard rating quality assurance visits addressing Quality of Provision, Leadership and Management including ED&I, Continuous Improvement and Learner Outcome
• Quality Assurance of trainer and assessor CPD

Our successful report also contained the following comment:
“The training records scrutinised were of the highest quality and the provider should be commended for having such records in place in such a short time following accreditation”

Managing Director Chris Haigh also added:
“This is great news and the positive comments contained within the report are an indication of our continued commitment and drive to deliver an industry leading Track Safety Training provision. Our skilled training and assessment team have technical skills and practical ability to support and develop staff across all sectors of Track Safety and P/Way maintenance. Furthermore, this recent success is more than just an attribution to our dedicated training team, it’s also reflective to our company values and the ethos of our entire team.”

www.haightraining.com

Spondon Level Crossing was a unique job that Haigh Rail recently undertook on behalf of partner Siemens Rail Automation. The works consisted of a full level crossing deck renewal, plus realignment of the existing footprint to accommodate a new alignment of the highway.

The existing track condition had to be scoped in advance of the works to assess the condition of the track components below the existing level crossing units. Haigh Rail determined that there were defective sleepers within the existing level crossing footprint, which had to be changed prior to the new level crossing being installed. Existing Hollow bearers also needed repositioning and there were existing drainage catchpits that required removing as they fell within new footprint of the level crossing. All sleepers throughout the crossing also needed respacing to enable new crossing panels to be housed.

During the project, Haigh Rail liaised with other stakeholders to allow for the setting out and installation of new kerb lines, as well as the resurfacing works that were required to each side of the crossing. This required good cooperation and interface management, so that all activities could be fully integrated.

Existing power cables also ran parallel to the dig area which needed to be excavated for the new edge beams, which made digging trenches challenging. However by working carefully and diligently these works were achieved without incident or accident.

Haigh Rail used road rail vehicles to lift the edge beams into place and throughout the works, track levels were monitored by the team to ensure the track geometry was not affected by the works.

Dan Foster, Engineering Director, had this to say:

“I am delighted to say that all Level Crossing components were installed safely and within the allocated time. Despite the challenges, Haigh Rail’s solution based approach allowed us to overcome these obstacles, by using our highly skilled in-house Project Engineers and Planners.

“By holding full-time managers, supervisors and multi-skilled and experienced operatives in-house, this enables multi-disciplinary projects like level-crossings to be a highly collaborative experience for all concerned – the client, project stakeholders and all our staff.”

Haigh Rail is delighted to announce that it has completed its Achilles Utility Vender Data Base (UVDB) audit with flying colours. The company has qualified for its Traffic Management services – achieving a near perfect score across a number of evaluation standards, via a rigorous assessment of the company’s Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality practices and procedures by Achilles Information Limited – to become a registered supplier on Verify.

For its Management System Evaluation, the company received 100% respectively for Health and Safety and Environmental and 99% and 97% for Quality and Corporate Social Responsibility elements. For the Onsite Assessment, the company received 100% across the board in all categories.

Divisional Manager Chris Hyland, was pleased with the outcome, which allows the utilities industry to procure traffic management services from the company, safe in the knowledge that its systems and onsite activities are both of a very high standard. Chris said:

“Haigh Traffic Management (Haigh TM) is a UK based specialist division that focuses on the provision of temporary traffic management in accordance with the National Highway Sector Scheme (NHSS) 12D. Our works cover TM provision on both rural and urban roads and we have the ability to provide a fully managed 12D service from project inception through to handover.

“Currently operating throughout the North West and Midlands and offering a 24/7 service, Haigh TM has a wealth of knowledge within the industry. This enables us to offer unrivalled support from the consultation and design phase, right through to works completion and project sign-off.”

View certificate here

www.haightrafficmanagement.com

Haigh Rail is pleased to announce the appointment of Trevor Whitehead as its new Business Support Manager. The role will not only draw upon Trevor’s vast experience in the areas of fleet management and plant training, it will also provide Trevor with the opportunity to support and grow the sales and development of Haigh Rail’s diverse business portfolio that includes divisions in; Track Renewals and Maintenance, Welding, Civil Engineering, Vegetation Management, Haulage, Traffic Management and Training.

Whilst working closely with the divisional leaders to manage Haigh Rail’s large fleet of vehicles, Trevor will also be hoping to increase awareness of each divisional offering to both existing clients and also open dialogue with new prospects.

Trevor will also be building upon Haigh Rail’s NSARE accredited rail training and occupational health offering, by delivering a range of small plant training courses for external clients at a venue and a time that suits the need of each individual business. The aim is to eliminate time constraints and provide a unique and outstanding value for money service.

A delighted Chris Haigh, had this to say:
“Haigh Rail has a history of providing outstanding work to some of the biggest contractors and operators across a diverse business portfolio. With a priority to deliver all work safely, on time, on budget and to a first-class specification, our managers, engineers, supervisors and operational delivery staff are each selected for their expertise and track record in safety and delivery and the appointment of Trevor Whitehead fits this criteria very well. As a holder of a Full Railway Principal Contractor Licence along with RISQS and ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 accreditation, we look forward to continued sustained growth and further diversification of our business operations.”

Haigh Training – a division of Haigh Rail – is proud to announce that it has been approved by NSAR (National Skills Academy for Rail) as a licenced rail training company. The company has also recruited experienced Rail Trainer, Stephen Johnson to work with Training Manager, Nick Grazier.

Coupled with its occupational health service offering, which already delivers first aid, manual handling, fire and water safety courses and small tools training, this now allows Haigh Training to offer a one-stop facility from its modern training centre near Preston, Lancashire.

Railway training and management development courses are offered and specifically designed to meet each client requirement and Haigh Training also carry out assessments and mentoring for all grades and skills.

Haigh’s mission is to provide a wide range of courses and qualifications for individuals and businesses looking to improve their teams’ skillsets, safety and confidence at work. By employing skilled trainers that all have previous experience in a wide range of industries, it allows us to apply first-hand knowledge of the specific training and skills required by all of our clients’ businesses.

Our courses are taught with traditional teaching methods using the very latest techniques and practices; we believe learning should be enjoyable as well as educational. We always aim to provide the essential practical knowledge and experience, to enable each delegate to complete their course – equipping them with the necessary tools and confidence they need.

Managing Director, Chris Haigh was delighted with the news that the company was now approved by NSAR for rail training and said:

“A big thanks to Training Manager Nick Grazier for this latest achievement. We now have a highly regarded rail trainer – Steve Johnson – on board and are looking forward to building on our established occupational health courses, by delivering first class rail training programmes for both our own staff and external companies.”

For more information, please email nick@haightraining.com or stephen@haightraining.com. Alternatively, call 01772 910310.

Following two weeks of audits, Haigh Rail is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 5-STAR RISQS accreditation – the highest possible rating. RISQS requires railway contractors to undergo a rigorous assessment process to verify that they have the management skills and capability to comply fully with the industry’s Health and Safety, Quality and Environmental practices.

The company is also delighted to announce that it has also passed its accreditation audit with flying colours in respect of its ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 certification. Certification in these standards, enables Haigh Rail to provide assurance to its customers and highlights the benefits they receive through the company’s management system excellence and its outstanding performance.

Managing Director, Chris Haigh commented on these fantastic achievements saying:

“Thank you to the team for their dedication and hard work. Our clients can continue to be assured that the services we provide are of the very highest standard”.

Haigh Rail is pleased to announce that its new Traffic Management Division has been launched.

The company has invested in specialist traffic management equipment and this coupled with the flexible, transparent and consultative approach applied across the rest of the business will enable us to drive maximum efficiency for our customers in this sector.

Headed up by Chris Hyland, an experienced traffic management professional, Haigh Traffic Management will look to both support our Utilities division and independent contracts by delivering a bespoke service at highly competitive prices.

Our knowledgeable team handles all aspects of traffic management, safety and compliance, and provides a truly proactive service.

Haigh Traffic Management also pride ourselves on a fully responsive service and offer 24/7 project support.

Managing Director Chris Haigh commented, saying:

“This is an exciting new area for the business and one where we see significant opportunity for growth. We’re looking forward to working with customers in this sector to help them drive new efficiencies, ensure compliance and reduce costs.”

Please contact Chris Hyland on 07867 929696 or email chris@haightm.com

Haigh Rail’s dedicated haulage division, Haigh Haulage, is now the proud owner of a new 67 plate Scania P410, eight-wheel, 32-tonne tipper grab, equipped with a Thompson tipper body and a Palfinger Epsilon M125 classic grab arm.

Haigh Haulage provides reliable and high-quality services to general hauliers and lift and shift companies, container companies, utility companies, and plant and civil engineering companies – all of which benefit from its valuable expertise, experience and equipment.

The division’s new off-road truck is built for the harshest of environments, provides superb reliability and is full of features to enhance the project experience and provide clients with a fully robust haulage offering. It is a great addition to the company’s existing service, which already covers a wide range of services for a variety of industries including construction, civil engineering and rail.

Chris Haigh, Managing Director added:

“In these industries where reliability is key, this tipper grab offers no compromises when it comes to quality and also provides low Euro 6 emissions, playing an important role in Haigh Haulage’s wider sustainable approach to its service.”

Haigh Rail Limited has been featured in the local Lancastrian press as a result of its continued success and growing team.

Formed by Managing Director Chris Haigh in 2011 to provide the highest quality, value-for-money, multidisciplinary service to key industrial sectors, the company has developed several complementary divisions and now operates across the rail, construction and engineering industries.

The business employs 50 staff and has offices in Doncaster and Crewe, as well as its Training Division and head office at Bamber Bridge, near Preston.

Due to its impressive growth, the company is now looking to recruit an assistant general manager to support Chris in the day-to-day running of all company operations, to maintain a positive, safe and profitable working environment. This newly created role is a key enabler in developing the future structure of the company, as it will free up time and allow Chris to focus on the strategic tasks required to continue growing the business.

You can read more about Haigh Rail and its future plans in the news story here.

Haigh Rail is delighted to announce the launch of its Training Division – Haigh Training – which will provide an extremely cost effective and high quality alternative training school, covering extensive First Aid, Water Safety and Rescue, Manual Handling and Fire Safety Courses.

The company has appointed an experienced Training Manager – Nick Grazier – who will oversee this new and exciting area of operation.

Nick has held various operational and training positions during his career and was recently the Mandatory Training Manager for David Lloyd Clubs, a nationwide role delivering a variety of courses and conducting club visits for compliance purposes. His day-to-day responsibilities included planning, managing and delivering Water Safety, First Aid and AED courses across the business, for 100 clubs.

Nick will also take care of any internal training requirements for Haigh Rail and its business operations and will be further developing the offering to cover the mandatory rail certification, tools and plant training and also permanent way training.

Haigh Training provides its training courses from its dedicated premises in Bamber Bridge, which have been fitted out to a high standard and are fully operational.

Chris Haigh, Managing Director of Haigh Rail is delighted with this latest addition to the Haigh Rail family:

“Haigh Training is an exciting alternative in the training market. With roots in the North West, our fantastic new facility clearly states the company’s intention to continue its great work in this part of the country.

“Nick Grazier is an outstanding UK training professional and all at Haigh Rail wish him enormous success in supporting both our internal requirements, but more importantly the wider business community.”

To discuss any current or future requirements in more detail please email nick@haightraining.com.

Haigh Rail was awarded its first contract with Network Rail as a Principal Contractor Licence (PCL) holder at Watford South Junction at the end of 2016. This success came only a few weeks after the announcement of the company’s provisional PCL status.

After previous contracts working for Siemens on the Watford Remodelling Project, railway infrastructure contractor Haigh Rail acted as a Principal Contractor in its own right for the final quarter of the project.

The scope of the works for the overall contract included the supply and installation of 180No hollow bearers. Haigh Rail delivered the full scope of works. The final quarter was particularly challenging, whereby Haigh Rail managed the installation of 37 hollow bearers, relocated a further 2 (incorrectly installed by others) and provided cable management to a further 12 (which were again put in by others, this time without the cables being installed). Haigh Rail also cleared the scrap with the use of an RRV to a designated access point.

Haigh Rail was also responsible for the management of the lineside civil engineering works, which included constructing walkways and they also provided a clear and level site compound, which housed the appropriate welfare facilities for the duration of the works.

Haigh Rail also had to manage the requirements of ALO and the proximity of the 3rd Rail, where circumstances dictated, using their internal resource and ALO planners to do so.

The works were completed to the satisfaction of Network Rail during a series of midweek night and weekend possessions of the line.

We are pleased to announce that Dan Foster’s promotion to Engineering Director has been featured in the June 2017 edition of RailStaff Magazine.

Dan has been promoted to the board of Haigh Rail, having previously been professional Head of Track. He joined us in March 2015, and has worked for several high-profile rail contractors, including Carillion Rail, Babcock Rail and Amey Sersa.

RailStaff Magazine is widely recognised as the number one rail publication in the UK, and gets to the heart of the UK Rail Industry with a blend of news, in-depth reports and interviews with key personnel.

Haigh Resourcing, Haigh Rail’s newest addition to its core offering, is featured in the June issue of the Rail Engineer, giving rail industry professionals a chance to get to know the division and the service it offers.

Under the stewardship of experienced duo Keiran Clarke and Ed Anderson, Haigh Resourcing, which supplies personnel to the building, civil engineering and rail sectors within the construction industry, has already secured a number of orders.

Haigh Resourcing understands that it is not just about finding people with the right skills and experience it is also about finding people with the right attitude.

It aims for seamless long-term supply contracts with its clients, whether supplying civil engineering gangs, plant operators or railway critical staff. Its resourcing motto is ‘Our People Are Your People.’

Haigh Resourcing offers clients a flexible approach to UK construction resourcing and can be engaged in many different ways, from a single resource to a complete gang. Our services for the rail industry cover multi-disciplinary labour supply, civil engineering and de-vegetation works, with offices across the country allowing us to offer a comprehensive UK-wide service.

This, coupled with our ability to supply both general construction and rail markets, gives Haigh Resourcing a point of difference in industries where high quality and reliability are of paramount importance.

To read about Haigh Resourcing in Rail Engineer click here, and to find out more about the division, visit www.haighresourcing.com, call 01270 446595 or email ed@haighresourcing.com.

We’re now well into 2017 and the growth and success at Haigh Rail continues. From completion of our first contract as a Full Principal Contractors Licence holder in Watford, to the development of a new labour and civils division for rail and construction, staff promotions, plus numerous health, safety and wellbeing initiatives, the company continues to develop its offering to meet and exceed the needs of its clients.

Read our latest newsletter here.

Haigh Resourcing – Haigh Rail’s newest addition to its core offering – has made a strong start following its recent formation.

Under the stewardship of experienced duo Keiran Clarke and Ed Anderson, Haigh Resourcing, which supplies personnel to the building, civil engineering and rail sectors within the construction industry, has already secured a number of orders.

The team are aiming high and are looking to extend their offering across the construction industry, by supplying high-quality resources to support the UK’s most important infrastructure projects.

Haigh Resourcing understands that it is not just about finding people with the right skills and experience it is also about finding people with the right attitude.

It aims for seamless long-term supply contracts with its clients, whether supplying civil engineering gangs, plant operators or railway critical staff – its resourcing motto is ‘Our People, Are Your People.’

Owner and Managing Director Chris Haigh is pleased with progress and said:

“Haigh Resourcing offers our clients a flexible approach to UK construction resourcing and can be engaged in many different ways from a single resource, to a complete gang.

“This, coupled with our ability to supply both general construction and rail markets, gives Haigh Resourcing a point of difference in industries where high-quality and reliability is of paramount importance.”

www.haighresourcing.com

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a full Principal Contractors Licence (PCL) less than six months after our provisional award.

This full Principal Contractors Licence allows the company to act in its own right as a main contractor on Network Rail UK controlled infrastructure to not only manage their own works, but also other suppliers and sub-contractors works too.

After successfully passing the first stage of the two-stage PCL audit process, Network Rail were invited to Haigh Rail’s project in Watford on 18th December, where the company are working on directly for Network Rail on this major re-modelling project.

Haigh Rail’s scope of works include track bearer installation works and the management and delivery of lineside civil engineering works.

Following the completion of a comprehensive audit and assessment, Network Rail were completely satisfied with Haigh Rail’s approach to railway assurance and deemed the company ready to undertake the management and delivery of rail works, awarding them full status.

Haigh Rail’s owner and Managing Director, Chris Haigh, commented, saying: “Our business strategy is to manage and deliver more track renewals and maintenance works directly for Network Rail throughout the country. With strategically placed depots in the Midlands, the North East and the North West and works being successfully delivered from Watford in the South to Carlisle in the North, we are geared up and ready for the next phase in our growth plan.

“This is an outstanding achievement for our company and is testament to our wholehearted commitment to railway assurance. Railways are at the very core of our business and our people.

“We look forward to future collaboration with Network Rail and our industry partners to extend our core track renewals and maintenance offering into current and new rail markets, to demonstrate further how our directly employed and managed workforce are delivering track works extremely effectively.”

We’re pleased to announce another year of growth and success at Haigh Rail. From our completion of rail engineering projects at Gresty Lane, new staff in all departments, plus the creation of several new business divisions, including haulage, the company continues to develop at a fast pace.

Read our latest newsletter here.

Haigh Rail is delighted to announce the appointment of Jack Taylor to its team of rail engineers.

As a nurturer of local talent, Haigh Rail – whose Midlands delivery operation is based in Crewe – recruited the 19-year-old from nearby in Stoke. Jack joined the company in October and will be fully supported by Haigh Rail as he works towards an NVQ level 3 in railway engineering over the next 12 months. He has taken his place within our team to work on multi-disciplinary tasks and projects throughout the business, and is aspiring to climb the permanent way engineering ladder.

With its team of highly experienced and versatile rail specialists from across various track disciplines, Haigh Rail is proving that people really are the lifeblood of railway engineering.

The company is now a PCL holder, delivering its first project directly for Network Rail, and is currently focused on a delivering a number of major projects across the UK.

By focusing on the recruitment and training of new specialists, Haigh Rail will safeguard the future of its workforce as it works towards its aim of becoming one of rail industry’s preferred contractors for track infrastructure projects throughout the UK.

Haigh Rail is delighted to announce the award of its first contract with Network Rail as a Principal Contractor Licence (PCL) holder. This success comes only a few weeks after the company’s announcement of its provisional PCL status.

Previously working for Siemens on the Watford Remodelling Project, railway infrastructure contractor Haigh Rail will now act as a Principal Contractor in its own right for the final quarter of the project.

The core scope of the works for this contract includes the supply and installation of 180No hollow bearers. Network Rail has also confirmed that a full site audit will be undertaken of Haigh Rail on 3rd December 2016, which should allow the business to move from provisional to full status in respect of its PCL.

Haigh Rail will also be responsible for the management of the lineside civil engineering works. Managing Director Chris Haigh is delighted with progress and said:

“This is the next step for Haigh Rail Ltd and is testament to the hard work of the entire team.

“We look forward to delivering the last section of this important remodeling project as PC and taking our status from provisional to full licence holder.”

Haigh Rail is proud to announce its award of the ‘Network Rail Principal Contractor Licence’ (PCL), which certifies that the business is capable of carrying out duties as a Principal Contractor in accordance with Network Rail’s regulations.

The new provisional licence will provide more opportunities for Haigh Rail and will allow the company to be considered for projects previously not available to us – we are excited about the increased opportunities that having a PCL will bring.

Haigh Rail is already in discussions with Network Rail to commence its first project as a PC and looks forward to the future with optimism. It is also a condition of the PCL that we will need to be reassessed on completion of a PCL project to move the provisional status of the PCL to full licence status.

Haigh Rail’s Managing Director, Chris Haigh, was happy to comment on this fantastic achievement:

“I am delighted with this success for Haigh Rail, which should prove highly significant. It is testament to the dedicated work of our Health, Safety and Compliance team, headed by Production, Safety and Compliance Engineer, Ian Hughes – I can’t thank you enough for your efforts.

“This will allow Haigh Rail to act as a PC in our own right and as a business I look forward to us continuing to set the standard in railway infrastructure contracting”.

Chris Haigh, Haigh Rail Limited’s founder and Managing Director, is featured in the September issue of RailStaff magazine.

The article details Chris’s career path, starting as a Trainee Engineer at Carillion, before continuing with major rail companies such as Babcock Rail and Network Rail. All of this experience is what led Chris to set up Haigh Rail Limited, looking to fill a gap in the industry for a small company with a flexible and tailored service offering.

Also mentioned is Haigh Rail’s impressive growth since its founding in 2011, and Chris’s plans to increase its service provision in the near future. The company’s recently established welding division created new business opportunities with both existing and potential clients.

Further to this, over the summer, Chris has been in the process of securing the final details of the company’s forthcoming haulage division, which will increase the scope of provision even further.

A new Scania Truck has been specially adapted for Haigh Rail. Its specialist body includes a 40-tonne/metre Effer crane that will be able to carry RRV trailers in its rail gauge running rails. This has been a significant investment for the company, allowing it to serve non-rail clients, as well as its traditional client base.

You can read more about Chris and his future plans for Haigh Rail Limited in September’s issue of RailStaff, available here: https://issuu.com/railmedia/docs/railstaff-september-16

On Sunday 28th August, Haigh Rail Ltd’s Chris Haigh and Claire Webley hosted a charity event from home to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice. This hugely valuable local charity provides palliative, specialist respite and end of life care for children and young adults throughout the North West region.

Chris and Claire asked guests for £5 for entry and £1 per drink from the specialist drinks trailer (Chris made up the remainder of the cost). Fish and chips were served free of charge, with children enjoying a bouncy castle and complimentary sweets.

In total, a fantastic £893 was raised on the day, which was kindly made up to a £1,000 by a friend who wasn’t able to be there. This will go towards the cost of care equipment and trips out for the children and young adults receiving care.

Derian House Children’s Hospice is wholly reliant upon donations. It was the first provider of respite and palliative support in Lancashire for families of children with life shortening conditions.

Permanent Way contractor, Haigh Rail, has secured a prestigious contract with partner Siemens Rail Automation at Birmingham New Street.

The contract, which commenced this month, cements Haigh Rail’s position as one of Siemens’ preferred contractors for track installation works.

Haigh Rail, which is a solutions-based rail business offering the design, co-ordination, staging, planning, implementation and handback of multi-faceted track projects, secured the works based on its ability to engineer not only the safest, but also the most cost efficient outcome.

The work scope includes:

• 140 Hollow bearer installations
• 8 IBJ installations
• UTX Track support
• Critical Rail Temperature monitoring
• Temporary speed restriction implementation
• Track surveys
• Point condition surveys

Haigh Rail’s Managing Director, Chris Haigh, stated: “We are delighted to have secured this prestigious contract. Siemens has been part of an amazing transformation of Birmingham’s railway hub and we are proud to play our part in constructing railways of the future. We look forward to continuation of our long-term relationship with the Siemens team.”

Haigh Rail’s Assistant Engineer, George Kelly, is continuing his progress through the ranks, by commencing his HNC in Engineering.

The two-year course, which starts in September, is testament to George’s enthusiasm and is part of Haigh Rail’s wider investment plan to train and develop their staff from within for the future.

George, who already holds a first class honours degree in Applied Science, will use this specialist training in engineering design principles and application for construction and the built environment to aid and develop his role. This training will be used as the basis for his continued professional development, a route which the company hopes will ultimately lead to future professional status.

Haigh Rail’s Managing Director, Chris Haigh, congratulated George on his progress to date saying: “Since joining Haigh in 2015, George’s work ethic and professionalism have been fantastic. We are delighted to be supporting George to further his skills and look forward to seeing his future development.”

Haigh Rail’s recruitment drive continues with the appointment of Teri Hodson.

Teri, who has spend much of her career working in the public sector, brings over two decades of professional support to the business and is a great addition to the Haigh Rail team.

Teri said: ‘Having worked in the public sector for many years and being open to change, I look forward to bringing my knowledge and skills into the commercial sector. This is very much a hands-on role, one where I can really make a difference’.

Teri will be focusing on delivering effective procurement management to support the fast growing and diverse activities of the railway infrastructure contractor.

Working alongside Haigh Rail’s Finance Director, Claire Webley, Teri will provide much needed support in purchasing and sales and is a welcome addition to the team at the businesses headquarters in Bamber Bridge.

Commenting on her appointment, Claire Webley said: “We are delighted to have recruited Teri. She comes highly regarded, has great interpersonal abilities and is highly professional – skills that Haigh Rail value incredibly highly.”

Nigel Evans, Conservative MP for the Ribble Valley, and Linda Woollard, Deputy Mayor of South Ribble Borough Council, celebrated the success of Haigh Rail by formally opening its head office in Bamber Bridge on 6th May 2016.

The office in Momentum Place, off Nook Lane, signals the growth and success of the company over the last five years, which are largely attributable to the drive of its managing director, Chris Haigh. This was noted by MP Nigel Evans, who commented: “Haigh Rail is a local success story and I was only too pleased to be invited to the official opening of the new headquarters in Bamber Bridge.

“It is hugely impressive to see Chris Haigh start from zero and create a company with 41 employees in just five short years. This is a fantastic new facility which states the company’s intention to continue its great work in this part of the country, where there are strong transport links.

“New enterprises such as Haigh Rail, which supply a vital engineering provision for Network Rail, as well as a range of private companies, are great for the region. This new office in Ribble Valley offers exciting local employment opportunities, which will be a boost to the local economy. The company should be called Haigh Rail Unlimited!”

With 1,200 square feet of office space and a further 1,700 square feet of storage space, the new headquarters offers ample room for Haigh Rail Ltd. to continue its plans for expansion. Eight members of staff will be based in the office, with a number of hot desks available for employees based elsewhere. The office is also well-equipped and suited for professional client meetings.