January News!

We all hoped that we would find ourselves in better circumstances once 2020 was consigned to history and we moved on into 2021.  Unfortunately, now that we are here, the situation remains grim through this darkest part of the winter with full lockdowns in place across the majority of the country.  However, with the vaccines beginning to roll out we are hopefully, finally getting a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel and an improvement is on the cards as 2021 progresses.   

Despite the dark and cold outside, things are bright at SVM with more new projects arriving for the start of the New Year.  Further Access for All works at multiple sites have been instructed, which add to an already impressive list of sites across Scotland where we have been involved in making stations as accessible as possible for the whole community.  We have begun looking at design works covering a Depot and rail sidings in the Fort William area and some shore supplies in Crewe while, closer to home, we have revisited Carstairs (a site at which we have been involved many times over the years) to provide design for works associated with the MDU.  Meanwhile, another project being revisited this month involves station design works in the Liverpool area, where a new phase of project works has just begun. 

This January we are continuing with several busy projects in the Inverness area including HV/LV design, Motorail sidings and carriage stabling works, while large scale works on the Rugeley to Colwich line and a 650V feeders renewal scheme in the Middlesbrough and Whitehouse areas continue to make good progress.  Works associated with the project construction phase at Aberdeen Station are in full flow as is the large scale scheme at Goole Swing Bridge and railway design in the Law and Newton areas.  Newer projects that are really picking up momentum this month include some railway yard lighting design in Dundee; design for the station canopies in Arbroath; works around the retail spaces in Glasgow Central Station; and some mechanical design in the Hambleton area.  Projects just getting off the ground in January cover design works at Portobello Junction; a new phase of works at Reston and East Linton; and works on the Ferrybridge to Goole line.  Other Railway projects still active this month are ongoing schemes at Ayr Station and Edinburgh Recontrol as well as the provision of mechanical advice on some departure roads at Corkerhill Depot.  Motherwell sees signalling UPS design and some rewiring works ongoing while the Glasgow area continues to host works for signalling feeders in the North; a fuel dispensing project at a major Depot; and AFA works at Carstairs.  Spreading across the country we continue to be involved with design for the power assisted door at Dumbarton Central station, heating and ventilation works at Edinburgh Waverley station; lighting gantries in Aberdeen and a Birmingham Station.  Moving away from the Railway we continue to service projects in the commercial sector with works at a retail park in Wishaw and a residential development in Edinburgh while still providing design support for a large, Victorian residential property in Castle Douglas.  Alloa leisure centre works are ongoing this month as are works forming part of the Clyde Gateway regeneration scheme; electrical works on Glasgow’s Bell’s Bridge; and an industrial site on the east side of Glasgow. 

We really hope to have the SVM team altogether again before another Christmas rolls around but in the meantime we will continue to work from home with one or two people manning the office on a daily basis.  It’s a new year and we hope that things can only get better, so to all our clients and collaborators, we wish you a safe and prosperous 2021.