East Midland Parkway construction to get underway - 19-12-2007 - 10:08

Construction is set to begin on a new £25.5 million railway station for East Midlands Airport this week.

The station, called East Midlands Parkway, will be built near junction 24 off the M1 and will include four platforms, 850 car parking spaces, a station building and a ticket office.

East Midlands Trains managing director, Tim Shoveller, told Transport Briefing: "We're really pleased that building of the station is now underway. When it opens next year, East Midlands Parkway will be an example of a high quality, accessible station and we're eager to play our part in delivering a first class station and service for our passengers."

He added that the company is hoping that more people will be persuaded to "leave the car behind and take the train".

The principal contractor for the project is Birse.

Birse is a group of companies that specialises in civil and process engineering. The majority of the group became part of the Balfour Beatty Group's civil engineering portfolio in 2004.

Crossrail link approved by Commons - 18-12-2007 - 12:04

Construction of the £15.9 billion London Crossrail link has been approved by the House of Commons.

The project will provide links between the Thames Gateway, the City, Docklands, Heathrow Airport and the West End.

Tom Harris, transport minister said: "Crossrail will significantly increase the capacity of the rail network into and across London. It is expected to add 21 per cent rail capacity to the City and 54 per cent to the Isle of Dogs, relieving congestion and overcrowding on the national rail and London Underground networks."

There has been three years of debate over the scheme after objections were raised by action groups in the East End, where most of the construction work is being planned.

Every hour 24 trains will run on the Crossrail link at peak times, with one every five minutes going in either direction.

The bills third reading passed without a vote and will go to the House of Lords for approval.

New highway planned for Somerset - 03-12-2007 - 14:51

Somerset county council will exhibit its plans for a new highway this week, giving hope of new construction jobs in the area.

The scheme is designed to relieve congestion in Taunton town centre with a new north-south route across the town, reports the Somerset County Gazette.

Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey said: "This is an exciting project which, alongside other major new schemes such as the new park and ride, will alleviate congestion in Taunton and improve the environment of the town centre for shoppers, residents and businesses."

Planning permission will be granted next month if the council receives enough backing for the idea, which is called Third Way.

Two bridges and a road will be constructed as part of the Third Way scheme. Construction work would start in 2009.

Meanwhile, thousands of construction jobs will be created in London after prime minister Gordon Brown announced that a National Skills Academy for Construction will be introduced on the Olympics 2012 site.