Network Rail Eastern Routes Partnership (ERP): Lowery Appointed to Leeds Sandford St Substation Renewal

ERP Distribution and Plant specialist partner Lowery have been appointed by Network Rail to undertake LV Switchpanel Renewal at Leeds Station.

Leeds Station is the busiest railway station in West Yorkshire and the third busiest station on the United Kingdom's railway network outside London.

The works will improve operational resilience of the rail network at Leeds station in addition to improving maintainability of the power supply assets in question.

With LV assets at end-of-life, the project sees Lowery undertaking the renewal of Leeds Station Sandford Street LV substation, English Electric (EE) LV Switchboard with a modern equivalent, meeting modern load requirements and staging works so as to minimise disruption and downtime of the power supplies, during the installation of the new switchboard. Lowery is providing design validation, engineering procurement and installation and commissioning services.

Lowery Operations Director, Daniel Burge, commented: "We look forward to using our extensive power expertise to help realise these works for Network Rail and to protect expected operational standards at Leeds Station."

The Eastern Routes Partnership (ERP) has been established to enable the Eastern region to directly award essential infrastructure improvement projects to supply chain partners. This arrangement is set to operate throughout the entirety of the railway’s control period (CP7), which spans five years.

By fostering stable and ongoing relationships between the region and its supply chain partners, the ERP ensures that these partners will be engaged and ready to deliver when the work bank is developed. This continuity facilitates smoother transitions and planning for future work.

A significant benefit of the ERP framework is the elimination of the need for individual procurement events for each project. This streamlining of the procurement process conserves valuable time and enhances overall value for money for the region and ultimately the Tax Payer whilst driving economic benefits to UK Plc. The ERP allows for collaboration between the region and its partners to commence earlier in each project’s lifecycle, promoting efficiency and better outcomes.  Within the framework, specialist suppliers have been allocated workbanks tailored to their expertise. In instances where the scale or complexity of a project requires a smaller delivery partner with specific specialist skills, Network Rail can engage such partners directly, ensuring that all requirements are met by suitably qualified suppliers.