June News!

Finally Glasgow has seen the end of level 3 restrictions with its long awaited move to level 2.  It’s been a massive boost to have pubs and restaurants operating more normally and for people to be able to visit freely again.  It’s such a big step that we have even seen a slight increase in the numbers of staff working out of the office, which is geared up for safe operation with hand sanitising stations, social distancing, air purification and frequent cleaning.  Several of our staff are still working from home as we take progress slowly but it is a good start and they are still available as they have been for the last 15 months by phone, email and MS Teams. 

In line with June’s optimistic feeling, we are delighted to welcome several new projects into the SVM fold.  We’re kicking off South of the Border with railway works in the Whitley Bay area while we have also been asked to look at station works near Rotherhithe.  Closer to home, we have begun building design works at Corkerhill; light upgrades for HSTs and water remedial works at Ayr Townhead.  In the commercial sector this month we have also become involved with provision of M&E advice following a fire at a café in Aberdeen and were able to take a site visit to beautiful Islay for works associated with a landfill site. 

June, of course, remains busy with many ongoing projects, most notably our current clutch of projects in Inverness including Railway Yard design, Depot LV and HV upgrades, Motorail sidings, shore supplies and carriage stabling works.  Perth Depot Shore Supplies has reached another delivery milestone this month while works for Aberdeen Station; design for the Ferrybridge to Goole Line; and Edinburgh Recontrol all remain in full swing.  GRIP stage 4 works at Dalcross and GRIP5-8 design in the Reston area are gaining momentum while large scale AFA works at Croy, Johnston and Port Glasgow Stations; works for Stirling Station; Portobello Junction; and platform extension design near Horsham have made good progress.  The main stations in Glasgow and Edinburgh continue to be busy with works associated with the retail areas and electrical design for lighting DBs in the former and concourse lighting, heating and ventilation in the latter.  Other projects that remain busy across Scotland are works for a rectification project in the Cumbernauld area; temp design works at Ayr Station; signalling design in the Law and Newton area; and signalling, UPS design and rewiring projects around Motherwell.  Small scale works still with us this month include electrical calcs for a project near Burntisland; Ebike installation in Inverness; blue light installation at Bellgrove Station; and Dundee railway yard lighting.  Meanwhile Linlithgow platform extension works; and mechanical design at Polmadie Depot are coming along nicely as are design for rail sidings in Fort William; Aberdeen lighting gantries, and Cathcart DBs.  Moving into England we have two new schemes that are just beginning involving a new phase of works at Bristol Junction and works at Reading Triangle.  Our 650V feeders renewal scheme in Middlesbrough and Whitehouse continues to make progress as does mechanical design in the Hambleton area; Station design works in the Liverpool area and our long running project at a Birmingham Station.  Design for shore supplies in Crewe is still going well while we are now approaching the end of the current works for Goole Swing Bridge and signalling works on the Rugeley to Colwich line.  We still always make time for some non-railway fare at SVM and this month is no exception with projects ongoing for Glasgow’s famous Bell’s Bridge; elements of the Clyde Gateway regeneration scheme; and design support for a large, Victorian residential property in Castle Douglas.  We also continue to be involved with a retail park in Wishaw and a residential development in Edinburgh.

It’s been great to see people coming back into the City this month – and back into SVM Glasgow’s office where several of the staff are now proud recipients of at least their first dose of the vaccination.  It would be lovely to see even more faces as soon as it is safe to do so and why shouldn’t yours be one of them?  If you are an EP design engineer in either the electrical or mechanical disciplines and would enjoy being a part of the team at SVM (once it is safe to do so), please send a CV to elise.mclean@svm-glasgow.co.uk.  We’d love to hear from you.