August News!

Glasgow has been a hive of activity this month with the Cycling World Championship playing out right on SVM’s doorstep.  It has been an excellent event for the city to host, bringing some welcome hustle and bustle but despite all the closed roads and diversions, it has been business as usual at SVM, turning out excellent designs for clients across the country. 

New projects have been arriving at high speed in August with new works underway for a substation in Kintore; a level crossing in Perth and Kinross; and some station electrical upgrades in the Bellshill area.  Meanwhile, South of the Border we have become involved with multiple substantial projects including two separate schemes in Selhurst for REB works and wheel lathe design; and works associated with the firewall replacement at four individual FTN sites.  Away from the Railway, we have also received instruction this month to look at a roundabout to the East of Glasgow where our involvement is mostly associated with the lighting arrangements. 

As always, we also have plenty of ongoing projects to see us through to the end of summer,  This month the most prominent of these are Rugeley to Colwich and Welwyn to Hitchin Railway routes; GRIP 4-5 design works at Levenmouth; AFA works at Anniesland Station; station rebuild design at Troon; and boiler renewal works at Criagentinny.  Other extensive projects just getting underway that will keep us busy through the second half of the year are large scale works for FTN design in the Stoke/Derby area; Caledonia Chambers works at Glasgow Central Station; and replacement of copper medium telecomms to fibre on Railway properties; meanwhile Cadder Depot remains busy with works covering the asset plans, substations, DHL, RSA shed, sliding gate and temporary LV supplies.  Other ongoing projects scattered across the country begin in the North with works on the Blair Atholl to Dalwhinnie route; the Dalcross GRIP 4 project; and various projects in Inverness including work stations and axle counters and a railway simulator; while we are awaiting the beginning of electrical design support for rail sites around the Aberdeen area.  In the central belt we have been looking at design for LMD compressors at Haymarket Depot; a DNO supply cubicle in the Larbert area; Eastfield Depot CETs; remedial station works at multiple sites; and the ongoing AFA scheme at Port Glasgow.  Barrhead electrification works are still going strong, as are LLPA design works at various sites; Carstairs Rationalisation; and replacement of Motherwell Station boiler for a new sustainably designed air source heat pump arrangement.  We are eagerly awaiting the beginning of fire damper investigation works for the railway and, heading to the South of the Country, we continue to provide design for a station booking office in Ayrshire.  Scotland is busy but England and Wale might just be busier with ongoing works for Bangor to Colwyn Bay design; a new stage of works for Tysley Depot; resignalling in the Darlington area; tunnel works at a site in West Yorkshire; and CRE duties for Nevillehill and Heaton Depots.  Design surrounding the traffic light at Great Glen Station is in full swing while reactive involvement is ongoing for long standing projects at Birmingham and Euston Stations; design near Widnes; Goole Swing Bridge; and works on the Ferrybridge to Goole route. 

August is also a good month for non Railway projects with interesting works underway for two healthcare facilities in Cambridge, one a new physiotherapy suite and the other an ophthalmic day theatre; while design works for an office refurbishment in Kilsyth remain healthy.  We have been involved in report production following water damage at a playing fields’ pavilion; the renovation of a farm building; and design for works at a timber yard near Fort William.  We are also still hopefully awaiting confirmation of Port Authority works at varying stages of design and implementation from Fort William in the North, Liverpool in the West and Sheerness in the South East. 

SVM have always been great supporters of collaborative industry events and we are looking forward to the Autumn social season beginning soon with tables planned for both the IET and IRSE dinners.  If you think there could be room for you at this table then there still could be a permanent spot available for one electrical and one mechanical candidate.  So if you are an engineer with Railway based electrical or mechanical design experience in a consultancy/contractor setting, then why not get in touch?  Please send your CV and covering letter to elise.mclean@svm-glasgow.co.uk.  We’ll save you a seat!