Basingstoke Stage 3 Successfully Commissioned

During the recent Easter Bank Holiday period the Rail Tech Group won high praise from Network Rail for their part in the successful commissioning of the prestigious Basingstoke Stage 3F Resignalling Project. The commissioning took place between 2nd April and 6^thApril and had been pre-ceeded by 8 months of installation works that was overseen and delivered by an integrated Rail Tech Group and Network Rail project team.

Commissioning works for the project included: 

• Renewal of the Signalling covering BML lines North of Basingstoke Station towards Woking (Deep Cut Cutting)
• Migration of control for the area into the Area Signalling Centre NXPanel at Basingstoke with commensurate decommissioning of the existing Basingstoke PSB     
• Introduction of 5 Banner signals & 8 Ground Position Light signals utilising Fibre-Optic & LED technology
• Introduction of TPWS & TPWS+ according to standard
• Modifications to the Train Describer & Panel Multiplexors at Basingstoke & Woking ASC
• Update of the Telephone Concentrators & provision of new Signal Post Telephones & Associated Direct Lines
• Decommissioning of Signalling and Panel at Basingstoke PSB

The commissioning itself was controlled from a central point at Basingstoke with Rail Tech Group teams covering areas from Hook to Winchfield. At its peak the commissioning resource levels reached 120 staff, including supervisory signalling personnel overseeing all works. Vital on-time information was fed back to a central project control point team that enabled Rail Tech teams to also provide swift and pro-active responses to the ever changing demands throughout the commissioning period itself.

The commissioning plan encompassed the coverage of the following signalling assets:

• 186 Ti21s Track Circuits
• 27 HVI Track Circuits
• Plug Coupler Changeovers at Winchfield and Farnborough
• Points Changeovers at Farnborough
• Installation of 16 Impedance Bonds
• Installation of 81 Permanent Magnets & 35 TPWS Installations 

With the success of Basingstoke Stage 3, Rail Tech Group believe that it has once again proved itself as a reliable and forward thinking company. With the high importance placed on competence and team-work mentality, its employees have once again delivered the desired outcome for its customer.