Network Rail has awarded phase 5 of a four-year package of upgrades to modernise 1980s track and signalling on the lines into London Victoria station to Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility.

The £69m contract will see the installation of new signalling, infrastructure, and control technology. The announcement for the delivery stages (GRIP 5-8) of Victoria Phase 5 follows the success of the £37 million Phase 4 contract that was awarded in March 2021, for which most of the civil engineering work has already started.

During Phase 5, Alstom will implement vital signalling upgrades in the Victoria area, with this phase going live in December 2024. The works will particularly benefit passengers and freight services between Battersea, Brixton, Herne Hill, and the Catford loop, by improving service reliability on the network.

The Three Bridges Rail Operating Centre (ROC) will control 302 new signal equivalent units, 494 new axle counters, and 82 new Train Protection Warning System units. These will be linked by 86.5km of signalling cable.

Jason Baldock, Alstom’s Managing Director, Digital & Integrated Solutions, said: “Passengers can look forward to a more reliable railway across the South London area. The improvements Alstom bring through Victoria 5, when combined with our existing Victoria 4 project, means that we can continue to realise our commitments in the Major Signalling Framework Agreement (MSFA).

“Our ‘one team’, collaborative and trusted relationship with Network Rail, allows us to openly share lessons learned and returns on experiences from one project to the other; enabling an efficient and cost-effective programme for Network Rail, while deploying the latest in digital technologies.”

Jamie Foster, Senior Programme Manager at Network Rail said “The award of this GRIP 5-8 contract for Victoria Phase 5, the next major phase of the wider Victoria Area Re-signalling Programme, marks both end and beginning chapters of an enormous effort by the joint Network Rail and Alstom teams.

“Since the teams formed for the delivery of the GRIP 4 contract, they have been on a collective journey of discovery. This has focussed on safe-by-design, safe delivery principles whose goal has remained to delight the passenger and end-user, and this has been delivered throughout within a culture established to promote a collaborative working environment.

“I look forward to continuing to be a part of these shared successes and to further witness the team’s continual growth and development, with the ultimate goal of celebrating the benefits the passengers will see upon completion of the scheme early in 2025.”