Weekly news round-up - 12 February 2014

Your rapid update on the week's infrastructure stories.

Thomas Paterson
12 February 2014
LinkedIn
Print

  1. Half the £12bn cost of Crossrail 2 can be met from private sources according to London First this week. In a new report “Funding Crossrail 2” the organisation says it has identified £23bn of potential private funding sources and suggests that those who would benefit most from the line’s construction should do most to fund it.

  2. The M2 in Kent was closed on Tuesday between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham when a 5m by 2m by 15m deep hole opened up in the central reservation.

  3. Network Rail opted not to appeal the Office of Rail Regulation final determination which gave it £38.293bn to invest in Britain’s railways for the CP5 control period from 2014 to 2019. See Infrastructure Intelligence interview with ORR director of planning and performance Alan Price. Click here

  4. New research unveiled at the C40 cities summit in Johannesburg last week revealed that the world’s leading cities are taking more action on climate change than ever before. You can find out more about the summit and the Arup report on Infrastructure Intelligence. Click here

  5. There’s another week of hard work ahead for the Environment Agency as more rain will add to the flood disaster. Groundwater levels are so high in some parts that flooding is likely to persist for weeks or even months.  See our story “Flooding catastrophe highlights need for new water storage options”. Click here.

  6. Chancellor George Osborne kicked off the £600M Northern Hub rail project which involves electrifying lines and providing major upgrades to the network around Manchester.

  7. Tidal Lagoon Power has submitted applications for the first of five projects in Swansea Bay it claims can meet 10% of the UK’s power needs.  But the scheme will need Government subsidies of £156 per MWH, more than that for offshore wind farms, if it is to be viable.

  8. As repairs continue to the stricken railway line at Dawlish in Devon which was smashed in the recent storms, there are reports that Network Rail has chosen an alternative route option heading to Okehampton and Plymouth via Tavistock north round Dartmoor where original infrastructure still exists. For more in future rail investment see interview with ORR.Click here

  9. Costain is the latest company to sign up to the Government’s Infrastructure Carbon Review which aims to reduce carbon in infrastructure. For a Q & A with construction minister Michael Fallon click here.

  10. Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £58.4M joint venture contract to carry out mechanical engineering services on the new Abu Dhabi International Airport Midfield Terminal building.