The East West Rail Company (EWR Co) has recently appointed Jacobs as it’s Programme Partner for the next three years, on the £5 billion Oxford to Cambridge railway.
Jacobs will be running the project, covering engineering and operations to IT support and delivery, working with EWR Co’s current team providing additional support as the project develops, with an estimated contract value of £35 million.
The firm also wants to work with local social enterprise partnerships, voluntary and community sector organisations and small-medium enterprises to help deliver a programme of social value, including helping young and vulnerable people in the area.
Jacobs, which is based in Winnersh Triangle to the east of Reading, is also committed to sustainability on the project, wanting to protect the environment and support better social outcomes.
The works programme for the scheme aims to help upskill, mentor, and offer support in areas such as business and finance planning, brand leadership and coaching and will provide additional tools focussing on mental health and development.
Programme delivery director at EWR Co Ian parker said “A project of the complexity and size of East West Rail requires a wide range of different types of resource as it develops. In this critical, yet early stage of our development as a business, it is vital that we have access to people who are at the top of their field across various areas of our business on a flexible basis. Jacobs will support us as we work towards creating a permanent workforce and build relationships with enterprise partners into the future.
As well as Jacobs’ internationally renowned reputation for world-class technical skills, they also have a proven track record in delivering strong, impactful social value – and are passionate about protecting the environment and promoting social mobility. These values are something that is at the core of what we want to achieve at EWR Co, delivering real difference for the communities along the route that we will serve.”
Jacobs’s people and places solutions senior vice president Donald Morrison said the firm is “delighted” to be working with EWR Co, saying “Their commitment to be a force for industry change and for the people and communities it will serve aligns with the Jacobs’ vision for creating a more connected and sustainable world,”
The scheme aims to have trains running between Milton Keynes and Oxford by 2025, with the next stage having two trains running per hour between Oxford and Bedford before the final stage connects with Cambridge.
Image source- East West Rail Company
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