Southern Renewals Enterprise
VolkerRail is part of the Southern Renewals Enterprise (SRE), a new and innovative model, introduced across Network Rail’s Southern region in April 2024 to deliver the £9bn renewals portfolio between 2024 and 2034.
As part of SRE, VolkerRail is undertaking track works. VolkerFitzpatrick – sister company to VolkerRail – will undertake buildings and civils, Octavius for electrification and plant, and AtkinsRéalis for signalling.
In a first for the railway industry, Network Rail’s Southern region formed the SRE model based on the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Project 13 principles – an industry leading approach to delivering infrastructure projects that is more collaborative, allows long term planning and has proven to deliver better outcomes for customers.
All four companies form the Southern Integrated Delivery (SID), comining their strengths and expertise. With the SID, the Southern region seeks to make transformational change in how renewals work is delivered by merging the capabilities of Network Rail and its supply chain to develop an integrated approach to delivery that will make the best use of resources, maximise efficiencies and collectively incentivise partners to deliver value to taxpayers and the right outcomes for passengers, freight and railway funders.
The Southern Renewals Enterprise
CP7 brings the opportunity to deliver capital works in new ways. By understanding the limitations of traditional contracting models and taking on board lessons from other sectors, SRE aims to deliver greater efficiency by adopting a progressive, value-based model, creating long-term relationships in which all parties are genuinely incentivised to deliver better outcomes for the travelling public and freight partners.
What is the SRE model and how will it work?
Aligned with Project 13 principles, the model for the Enterprise will be made up of three distinct entities:
- The Capable Owner (Network Rail) will focus on owning, defining and appropriately assuring the Southern renewals portfolio delivery.
- Southern Integrated Delivery (SID) will be empowered to plan, specify, assemble and handback the full Southern renewals portfolio. Partners will pool their expertise and resources across the entire regional renewal’s portfolio, coordinating and delivering five interlinked tranches of work.
- An ecosystem of the best-in-class constructors and specialist partners, is being assembled and managed by SID, for the overall benefit of SRE’s outcomes.
"This is an amazing opportunity to make a step change in how efficiently and safely we can deliver renewals in a more effective and collaborative way across the region."
Liz Baldwin SID director