Network Rail

Network Rail's new National Centre opens for business in Milton Keynes
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date Monday 11 Jun 2012 14:00
source Network Rail
type Press release

The first of around 3,000 people moved into Network Rail’s new national centre in Milton Keynes today, putting the city at the centre of Britain’s railway operations and helping cut millions of pounds a year from the cost of running the railway.

The Quadrant:MK, as the new building is called, brings together teams from across the country under one eco-friendly roof, improving the way Network Rail coordinates activities to build a bigger and better railway.

The move to Milton Keynes is part of a programme of structural reform of Network Rail which has seen day-to-day control of the railway devolved to local level and the creation of a new, regional infrastructure projects business. Sitting at the centre of Network Rail’s operations, the national centre will provide support to the routes and regions based in places such as York, Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Moving so many people to a single location will save Network Rail tens of millions of pounds a year in office rental costs, helping cut the cost of the railway and delivering better value for money for taxpayers and fare payers.

David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, said: “The national centre is at the heart of our plans to improve the way we work and will help deliver a better and more efficient railway for passengers and freight. We’ll be bringing 3,000 people who play an integral part in the running of the railway into one location, complementing the changes we have already made to our business to bring us closer to our customers and more responsive to their needs.

"This is an exciting time for the rail industry. Over the next ten years, Britain’s rail traffic will increase by around a third, making ours the fastest growing railway in Europe. The railway is vital to Britain’s future economic success – connecting commerce and communities across the country. Our people based in Milton Keynes will play an integral part in its transformation.”

The new building sits on the site of the former national hockey stadium, revitalising an underused corner of central Milton Keynes and providing a huge boost to the local economy. Many of the 3,000 people moving to the Quadrant:MK are existing employees who are relocating to the area. In addition, Network Rail is recruiting 700 new roles at all levels and across all functions. Half of the successful candidates to date come from Milton Keynes and Northampton postcodes.

For those existing employees who have moved or are moving to Milton Keynes, a series of drop-in days, workshops, spouse support days and familiarisation tours have been put on over the last year to introduce people to Milton Keynes and all it has to offer. Network Rail has worked closely with a number of local stakeholders, notably Milton Keynes Council, to make sure people new to the area have all the support they need as well as information about housing, schools and leisure facilities.

Matthew Lutz works in human resources for Network Rail at the company’s MK Central office, which will close in September once the move into the Quadrant:MK is complete. He and his wife Charlotte, who also works for Network Rail in Milton Keynes, moved to the city from Birmingham in March 2011 looking for a better quality of life for them and their 10-year-old daughter.

“We’d been talking about moving away from Birmingham for a while,” said Matthew. “When the move to Milton Keynes came up at work, we agreed it was the right move for us as a family. I can’t wait to move into the new national centre and I certainly don’t miss the long daily commute.”

The 400,000 sq ft Quadrant:MK is at the forefront of new office developments in the country and is one of the most sustainable buildings in the country, with a combination of cutting-edge design and the latest environmentally-friendly features. The building is naturally ventilated with little reliance on air conditioning, uses recycled rainwater to flush toilets and draws power and heating from the local district energy scheme.

Tim Coucher, Network Rail project director for the Quadrant:MK, said: “The Quadrant:MK will bring more than environmental benefits. It will bring the right people together in a single location and improve the way we work across the business, creating an environment that encourages faster and smarter ways of working with great career opportunities.

“We chose Milton Keynes as the site for our new national centre because it offers a fantastic way of life, with all the amenities of a major city in the heart of the countryside. We’re committed to the city for the long-term and look forward to becoming part of the fabric of life here.”

Over the next three months, approximately 250-300 people will move into the Quadrant:MK each week, with the building fully operational in September.



Notes to Editors:

The national centre brings together Network Rail’s support functions in one place:

Asset management (asset information, building & civils, track, telecoms, engineering, signalling and power)
Finance
Human resources
Information management
National Delivery Service
Network operations (incl. infrastructure maintenance services)
Group strategy (formerly planning and development)
Property
Safety and sustainable development
Contracts and procurements (formerly strategic sourcing).
Timeline

October 2008: Milton Keynes named as Network Rail’s preferred location for its new national centre.
April 2009: GMW, the award-winning architects behind the redevelopment of Tower 42 (the Natwest Tower), appointed by Network Rail to design the 400,000 sq ft building.
September 2009: First images of the national centre revealed as Network Rail carries out a series of public consultation events in Milton Keynes. Nearly 2,000 local people spoke to the project team or visited the consultation website to have their say on the plans.
November 2009: Formal planning application submitted to Milton Keynes council. Final submission included a number of design amendments put in place following feedback from the public during the consultation period.
December 2009: BAM Construction awarded pre-construction services agreement by Network Rail to assist in the second stage of the design and procurement process. Also in December, demolition of the former National Hockey Stadium began.
January 2010: Milton Keynes council formally approves Network Rail’s plans.
July 2010: Contract for the construction of the national centre awarded to BAM.
August 2010: Construction on site begins.
June 2012: Network Rail national centre opens.
September 2012: Network Rail national centre fully operational.




For more information please contact :

Media Relations (National)
t:020 3356 8700
e: mediarelations@networkrail.co.uk



About Network Rail

Network Rail is the not for dividend owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure, which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations - the largest of which we also manage. We aim to provide a safe, reliable and efficient rail infrastructure for freight and passenger trains to use. Our website: www.networkrail.co.uk

Railhub Archive ::: 2012-06-11 NET-001