AtkinsRéalis appointed to alliance delivering England's Midlands Rail Hub program
MONTREAL, Dec. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL), a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, has been appointed by Network Rail, Britain's rail infrastructure owner, to design and develop the Midlands Rail Hub program, which will transform rail connectivity across Birmingham and the West Midlands region.
AtkinsRéalis will form part of an alliance with VolkerRail, Laing O'Rourke, Siemens Mobility, and Network Rail to design and develop the eight-year program. The Midlands Rail Hub has received £123 million in government funding to progress design and development work, and will reconfigure rail services across Birmingham and the wider region to enable additional train services and new journey options for passengers1.
"Government investment in rail infrastructure is essential to improving connectivity and supporting economic growth," said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, AtkinsRéalis. "Programs such as the Midlands Rail Hub demonstrate the potential for transformative place-led growth when enhanced transport infrastructure is combined with wider regeneration and development opportunities, creating corridors of growth that improve connectivity for communities and businesses."
"AtkinsRéalis brings proven credentials to the Midlands Rail Hub, from major station redesigns including Birmingham New Street to large-scale alliance programs such as East West Rail," said Chris Ball, President, United Kingdom and Ireland, AtkinsRéalis. "The alliance model enables us to work collaboratively with our partners to deliver the design and development work that will reshape connectivity for millions of people across this economically important region."
As part of the alliance, AtkinsRéalis will provide a range of services and expertise including multi-disciplinary design, engineering leadership, project management and controls, commercial and risk management, and environment and consenting across the program.
The Midlands Rail Hub could cost around £1.75 billion if delivered in full1. Early passenger benefits are expected by the early 2030s, adding up to 300 extra trains a day to the West Midlands rail network, and improving services between Birmingham and more than 50 locations across the Midlands and Wales2.
The program will reconfigure how Birmingham's three main stations - New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill - are served by train services, and establish new connections between main lines. Initial work will focus on station improvements and infrastructure upgrades.
AtkinsRéalis' appointment builds on its extensive rail infrastructure portfolio across the UK, including upgrading signalling through Network Rail's £4 billion Train Control Systems Framework; delivering the first stage of the East West Rail programme, which is re-establishing a direct link between Oxford and Cambridge; and its position as Railway Systems Integration Partner for the East Coast Digital Programme, which is introducing in-cab digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line.
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