Work Starts on Strategic Rail Freight Connection

Winvic Construction has reached the next infrastructure project milestone at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway, and is beginning the programme of works for the strategic rail freight connection.

The works to enable the connection to the Northampton loop of the West Coast Mainline will begin with stripping the topsoil and significant earthworks.

Ground excavations will begin for the building plateaux, estate roads and the 170m reinforced concrete tunnel, which will screen the trains after departing from the terminal. Foundations will also be laid for concrete walls and pre-cast beams will be installed before the structure is buried with earth and then landscaped.

This programme comprises the pouring of the concrete slab and the construction of a 70-degree, 1.2km bund – utilising a mechanically stabilised earth wall method – which screens the SRFI.

The 450-acre state-of-the-art multi-modal logistics development will be home to five million square feet of modern sustainable warehouse space and logistics facilities and is strategically located net to the M1 motorway. The first plots are set to be available to build upon later this year; as part of the development, SEGRO is investing £190m into infrastructure, including the new SRFI and significant improvements to the surrounding road networks.

Winvic has been on site since summer 2020, conducting enabling works for SEGRO, which have included ecology, archaeology and geotechnical site investigations.

Rob Cook, Winvic’s Director of Civils and Infrastructure, said: “As we very much expected – due to our long-standing relationship with SEGRO on projects of this size and nature – the programme of works at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway have been progressing well. There has been a lot of activity across the site since January but this next phase will really start to shape the landscape, particularly with works starting on the bund that screens the SRFI, the landscaped tunnel and the terminal slab.

“Winvic is looking forward to continuing close liaison with stakeholders – from community groups through to Highways England – and hitting the next major milestones. I’d like to congratulate our site team for their hard work to date, proving that embracing a one-team approach leads to success.”

Andrew Pilsworth, Managing Director, National Logistics at SEGRO, commented: “The World Economic Forum estimates that nearly a quarter of the UK’s population is expected to permanently change the way they shop following the pandemic and it is thought that e-commerce could rise from 19.2% to 53% by 2028.

“It will only be possible for people to buy more goods online and have them delivered in a timely manner if we continue to develop high-quality warehouse space in the right locations, such as SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway. At this site we will also have the added benefit of the rail freight terminal which will enable these goods to be transported around the country in a more sustainable way.”

The infrastructure improvements are being delivered in partnership with Highways England, Network Rail and local authorities.

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