This event – exclusively for construction professionals in West Sussex – will give you a solid foundation in how the industry is shaping up to meet the challenge of becoming net zero and help keep you ahead of the curve.

Network Rail has issued the following press release following the completion of the new concourse at Gatwick Airport station

A new look Gatwick Airport station is set to open to passengers on Tuesday 21 November, transforming the journey from train to plane and giving passengers travelling between Brighton and London easier, faster, more reliable journeys.

County Council) and Dave Jackson (Contracts Manager, Landbuild). The second phase of a £3.5m programme of improvements at Crawley’s Manor Royal industrial estate has now been completed. The second phase of the scheme, started in February 2023 and completed in September 2023, delivered substantial improvements to Manor Royal Road, including to the public realm on Manor Royal/Gatwick Road Roundabout, a brand-new eastbound bus lane along Manor Royal Road and carriageway resurfacing along Manor Royal Road.   The improvement scheme is a partnership between West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council and Manor Royal BID and is part of the Crawley Growth Programme.   The Crawley Growth programme is a £60m investment package of improvements across Crawley to support business investment, employment growth and the delivery of housing. As part of this, over £3.5m has been invested in Manor Royal to improve key junctions, cycling, and walking facilities, traffic signals, a new eastbound bus lane on Manor Royal Road, improved bus waiting areas and options to improve parking.    The first phase of Manor Royal highways improvements was completed in July 2022 and successfully delivered improvements to the operation of the junction and signals at County Oak Way and Martyrs Avenue, new crossings on London Road, Crompton Way and Manor Royal were installed and associated public realm and walking and cycling routes upgraded.   Councillor Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council said: “I’m proud of this successful partnership and the regeneration we have brought and will continue to bring to Crawley which will bring extensive benefits to residents, visitors and businesses.   “The addition of the new bus lane will help to make the bus service more reliable and speed up the journeys as buses will be able to bypass queues that can occur at peak periods. We hope that this will encourage more people out of their cars and to travel by sustainable transport.   “The Crawley Growth Programme works are also in line with our Council Plan aim of supporting a sustainable and prosperous economy through providing a safer, more efficient and overall resilient transport network.”   The programme of improvements has been informed by a transport study that was commissioned by the Manor Royal BID with the support of West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council, Gatwick Airport Limited and Metrobus. The scheme was delivered by Landbuild and was successfully managed by WSP, West Sussex County Council’s highways design and consultancy partners.   Steve Sawyer, Executive Director of the Manor Royal BID said: “The success of the Crawley Growth Programme is testimony to the strong partnership the BID has with both councils. This has delivered millions of pounds of new investment and much improved infrastructure for the Business District. We look forward to more to come.” Councillor Nawaz Atif, Deputy Leader of Crawley Borough Council & Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development said: “Successful completion of this second phase gives me great confidence that the third phase will help bring the economic benefits and transport improvements that we seek for Crawley.”   A further demonstration of the ambitions of the Crawley Growth Programme is the planned delivery of the third phase of the Manor Royal highways works. This will involve the extension of the new eastbound bus lane from Gatwick Road to London Road. Continuing the strong partnership between the members of the Crawley Growth Board and more importantly delivering concrete and tremendous benefits to the residents and businesses of Crawley.     More information about the Crawley Growth Programme can be found at Manor Royal Highways Improvements, Crawley | Your Voice West Sussex.

  The Gatwick Station upgrade is continuing to make great progress  as we head towards the final stages of the project.   Recent works carried out include the continuation of the internal fit out of the new concourse and airport entrance,  completing the new permanent resurfacing on platform 7, commissioning all escalators and migrating the temporary services (Public address and voice alarm systems) on platforms 5/6/7 onto permanent supplies.   Take a look at the latest timelapse video showing progress on the external works.   You can find out more about the project and how it is improving the passenger journey on the  Network Rail website.   New airport entrance internal fit out Works continue to progress well on the new  concourse and airport entrance which will provide an additional 1,727m2 of space for passengers.   The wayfinding signage is now complete along with the majority of the floor tiling. The exit point gateline to the upper forecourt where passengers go to access the long stay car park and buses has been installed and commissioned. A ticket vending machine has been installed here and is awaiting commissioning.   The four new lifts are undergoing some final snagging works. The new escalator is in place and ready for when the airport entrance enters into service.   The works on the lifts for platforms 3 and 4 are nearing completion and the lift lobby area has been tiled and glazing is complete.     A welcoming walkway Following the completion of the cladding and MEPT (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Technology) installation works over the eyebrow of the new concourse, the temporary ceiling hoarding leading from the top of the escalators on platforms 5/6 to the airport entrance was removed, freeing up more space for passengers.    Platform 7 works are nearing completion On platform 7, the temporary lights, fire alarms, CCTV monitors and PAVA (Public address and voice alarm systems) and their power supplies have been removed from the temporary barriers that split the platform. The work was carried out behind the hoarding line (temporary barrier) which keeps passengers safe and separates the construction site from the active platform.   This work, along with completion of the resurfacing is a major step towards making more space and improving the experience for passengers.   Solar Power Throughout the project, sustainability has always played a key part. As part of our commitment to this we will be installing Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the staff accommodation building, an area of 52m². These panels convert sunlight into electricity, which will be used within the building.   BREEAM is the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment and the installation of this sustainable technology will ensure that the building meets BREAAM Excellent targets for Energy credits EN01 and EN02.   The plans have been submitted and we are expecting approval and acceptance of the designs within the next month.   Testing testing During a 27 hour possession of the fast lines on 7 September the project activated the permanent CCTV, PAVA (Public address and voice alarm systems) and lighting assets on platforms 5/6/7 before testing for lux level compliance with members of the GTR Health and Safety team.   Lux level uniformity or lux level compliance is confirmation that the whole platform is illuminated to the correct level, leaving no dark spots that might make it hard for operational staff to see the passengers.     The project worked with teams crewing a class 700 Thameslink unit and 377 Southern to confirm that the lighting and visibility on the platform are suitable for operational use.   This enabled the team to switch to permanent lighting arrangements over the weeks that followed.