To support its projects based in Scotland and the North of England, engineering specialists VolkerRail has expanded its collaboration with infrastructure services provider, SWGR, by opening a new office in its Glasgow delivery centre. VolkerRail has supported a number of high profile infrastructure projects in Scotland, including electrification upgrading on the East Coast Main Line.

The collaboration with SWGR is not new. VolkerRail has worked with the Glasgow-based company for over ten years. The new partnership will VolkerRail to strengthen its relationship with SWGR, and utilise its training centre and facilities, whilst also providing a hub in Scotland to facilitate collaboration with local clients.

Since the Second World War

In various identities, VolkerRail has been a part of the infrastructure scene since just after the Second World War. Currently headquartered in Doncaster, the company is building on its Scottish presence at the same time as the network in Scotland comes under government control (being nationalised and taken under the Scottish government’s direct control from April).

In the coming months, VolkerRail intends to recruit a locally based team in Scotland, and support the company’s development strategy as it increases its operations. “As we continue to deliver rail projects that help bring communities together, we must also ensure our employees feel close to the business and have access to regional hubs – regardless of location”, said Stuart Birch, VolkerRail major projects director. “SWGR has been an exceptional supplier to VolkerRail, and this collaborative relationship will not only strengthen our offering, but will also benefit our teams, as they continue to support rail growth in Scotland and the North of England.”

VolkerRail’s headquarters are at the heart of the rail community in Doncaster, and now also at the heart of a Scottish engineering hub too. The co-site with SWGR is in Glasgow, nearby the remnants of the once famous St Rollox locomotive works. At the height of its productivity, the works famously produced almost three-quarters of British locomotives, and employed nearly 4,000 staff.