Nexus

Value: £2.1M

Date: April 2022

PACE played a vital role in the Newcastle Metro line project, where the focus was on ancillary civils works as part of a comprehensive track dualling scheme. This larger initiative involved connecting a network rail freight line with a passenger line on the Nexus network between Pelaw and Bede, aiming to enhance passenger and freight capacity in the area. PACE's scope of works included diverse civil engineering aspects such as piling for signals and stagings, new signal installations, signalling location cabinets, associated hardstanding including stagings, new line-of-route enhancements, and the recovery of redundant signalling assets. Numerous challenges arose during this project, notably a delayed civils design package that posed risks to overall program milestones and introduced technical queries and issues in civil construction works. To mitigate these challenges, PACE’s management undertook the role of a construction CRE and bolstered our management team with an integration manager to streamline communication between designers, other contractors, and our frontline installation team. Additionally, PACE increased the original planned civils labour resource on the ground to expedite the overall civils program, introducing efficiencies and enabling earlier achievement of milestones such as signalling cabling running and prep testing works. Despite the challenges, PACE successfully completed the civils works to its usual high standards, earning praise from both the client and the principal contractor's main project team. This project not only showcased PACE's ability to navigate complexities in civil engineering but also emphasized the company's commitment to proactive problem-solving, efficient project management, and maintaining high-quality and safety standards even under challenging circumstances.