AtkinsRéalis awarded £98 million contract to upgrade rail signalling in Wessex, UK
MONTREAL, March 24, 2026 /CNW/ - AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL), a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, has been awarded a contract worth approximately £98 million by Network Rail, Britain's rail infrastructure owner, to upgrade signalling and telecommunications infrastructure in Wessex, South England.
Over three years AtkinsRéalis will act as principal contractor and designer to deliver full end-to-end design, project management and construction services to upgrade 43 kilometres of railway near Portsmouth. The project will replace obsolete systems - improving reliability and performance - with a target to significantly reduce signalling-related delays.
"Reliable rail infrastructure is fundamental to supporting connectivity and economic growth across regions," said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. "This project will significantly improve network performance, benefiting passengers and freight operators while supporting the modernization of England's rail infrastructure. The scale of this award reflects Network Rail's confidence in our capability to deliver."
"AtkinsRéalis brings deep expertise in rail signalling, covering both conventional and digital technologies, which positions us to meet Network Rail's infrastructure modernization needs," said Chris Ball, President, United Kingdom and Ireland, AtkinsRéalis. "Our track record in the region, combined with our commitment to working collaboratively with the supply chain including SMEs, will support successful delivery of this complex program, improving reliability for communities and businesses across the region."
The Wessex Route connects London with Portsmouth and Southampton, two of England's major ports and industrial centres which serve as gateways for international trade and are receiving significant government investment. The route is part of South Western Railway & Network Rail Wessex's £2 billion investment program to modernize the railway across the South West into London between 2024 and 2029¹.
The project involves the relock and recontrol of the Havant Area Signalling Centre on the Wessex Route to the Basingstoke Regional Operating Centre; spanning 11 stations, 10 interlockings, four level crossings and associated signalling power and telecommunications systems. Work has commenced with engineering, procurement and construction now underway.
As part of the upgrade, AtkinsRéalis will deploy its Advanced Signalling Method (ASM), the first rail systems integration product of its kind to gain formal product approval from Network Rail. The company has previously delivered improvements to the area's signalling through its role in the Southern Integrated Delivery programme as well as the £375 million Feltham & Wokingham signalling upgrade in Southwest London.
The contract was awarded through Network Rail's £4 billion Train Control Systems Framework, which AtkinsRéalis secured a place on in September 2024.
AtkinsRéalis' appointment builds on its extensive rail infrastructure portfolio across the UK, including delivery of the £1.2 billion East West Rail Phase 2 programme, its position as Railway Systems Integration Partner for the East Coast Digital Programme and most recently, part of the alliance delivering the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub.
About AtkinsRéalis
Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
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SOURCE AtkinsRéalis
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