Skanska completes £450m enabling works at Euston Station

Skanska has completed £450 million enabling works for London Euston station in preparation for HS2.

Skanska, along with the supply chain, has completed a programme of enabling works at Euston station for Network Rail.

The works are in preparation for the arrival of the HS2 rail line, which is set to connect London to Birmingham. 

The seven-year contract employed 200 people at its peak.

The station required significant changes to prepare for the new high speed rail terminus located next to the existing station where the planned HS2 route overlaps existing rail infrastructure. 

Now that enabling works have enabled the station to remain operational throughout the HS2 construction works.  

43 different multi-disciplinary projects took place around Euston station, including:

• Strengthening and cladding the station building
• Demolishing two platforms (30m x 300m)
• Constructing a new maintenance delivery unit (MDU) on the parcel deck
• Constructing a building to house new waste compactors
• A new 11kv network including four high voltage substations to power the whole station
• Extensive works in the basement and other significant works

3.25 million hours RIDDOR free were achieved on the project, as well as exceeding the targeted 15 per cent carbon reduction, with some packages more than 80 per cent.

This follows a series of completions on the HS2 project, including: eight-month work to slide the 3,700 tonne deck of the Wendover Dean Viaduct into position, plus excavation of the Old Oak Common station underground box.

James Ralph, Project Director, said: The Skanska project team, along with our supply chain partners and customer Network Rail, have faced many complex challenges but have always fostered a collaborative, people-first culture. 

“This has resulted in the delivery of innovative solutions and sustainable ways of working, all with an exceptional safety record. 

“We have ensured that the main works contractors were set up for success. 

“All this has been achieved while working in one of the country’s busiest railway stations that’s operational 24/7 working adjacent to HS2 sites and alongside the local community to deliver long-lasting benefits and a legacy to be proud of.”  

Neil Soden, Programme Manager at Network Rail said: “Working with Skanska over the last seven years we have delivered a fantastic amount of work to support the future vision of the Euston campus.  

“The team worked so closely with us and all of the other station stakeholders with safe delivery and the customer outcomes always being at the heart of their purpose.  

“Despite the ‘HS2 pause’ last year and the impact on this programme of works, our strength has meant we have pulled together to hand the project back quickly and efficiently.”

In 2023, The Department for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd needed to go back to the drawing board on the HS2 Euston station after initial cost estimates were found to be “completely unrealistic”.

Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture (SCS JV) has been allocated an additional £146.609 million towards works on HS2, part of which Part of which is the 7.2 kilometre tunnel between Euston and Old Oak Common which was delayed to 2024.

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