About Project

As part of Project Reach, Sunville Rail was contracted by the principal contractor, Telent Technologies, to deliver civil engineering works and cable installation along the Redhill–Tonbridge route.

Project Overview

Case Study: End‑to‑End Fibre Route Delivery – 32km Telecoms Upgrade Programme, Surrey

Client

Major UK Rail Infrastructure Contractor (CP4–CP7)

Project Overview

Sunville Rail was engaged to deliver a full end‑to‑end upgrade of a 432‑core fibre route across a 32km section of operational railway in Surrey. The programme required integrated dilapidation surveys with the client’s Principal Contractor, civils delivery, telecoms installation and environmental management—executed within a live rail environment and under tight programme constraints.

The objective was to establish a resilient, maintainable fibre route capable of supporting future digital railway requirements while minimising operational disruption and ensuring full compliance with railway standards.

Scope of Works Delivered

1. Survey & Design Enablement

Sunville Rail undertook all survey activities required to support both fibre and civils design development, including:

• Comprehensive route surveys to confirm existing capacity, route condition and clearance requirements.
• Rod‑and‑prove operations across buried routes to validate capacity and identify constraints.
• Vegetation clearance and route preparation to establish safe access and installation readiness.

These early‑stage activities provided accurate, risk‑reducing data and enabled design teams to progress with confidence.

2. Fibre Installation & Cable Management

Sunville Rail successfully delivered:

• 32km of 432‑core fibre cable, installed by hand and fully put away into the existing cable route.
• Full management of cable drum deliveries, including controlled storage, handling and distribution.
• Deployment of cable trailers and multi‑skilled civils/telecoms operatives to maintain programme momentum.

The installation was completed without incident, with all cable routes proven, protected and handed back in a maintainable condition.

3. Civils Infrastructure Delivery

To support the upgraded fibre route, Sunville Rail delivered a significant civils package, including:

• Installation of 17 Cubis StakkaBoxes at jointing locations.
• Installation of Anderton concrete troughing and TTS GRP troughing systems.
• Construction of new GRP trunking routes on elevated posts to provide compliant cable containment.
• Installation of GRP handrail systems around jointing locations to ensure safe future access.
• Construction of retaining walls and posts to stabilise and protect key assets.

These works ensured the fibre route was structurally robust, compliant and future‑proofed.

4. Welfare, Logistics & Site Support

Sunville Rail provided:

• Transient welfare facilities to support distributed work locations.
• Full logistics management, including cable drum receipt, storage and movement.
• A fully resourced civils and telecoms workforce, enabling continuous progress across multiple work fronts.

5. Environmental Compliance

All onsite waste was removed and disposed of in accordance with environmental legislation and client requirements. Sunville Rail maintained a clean, safe and compliant working environment throughout.

Outcomes & Benefits

✔ Programme Certainty
All works were delivered to programme, with no delays attributable to Sunville Rail.

✔ Technical Assurance
The fibre route was installed, proven and handed back fully compliant with telecoms and civils standards.

✔ Reduced Client Risk
Early survey and rod‑and‑prove activities de‑risked design, reduced rework and enabled accurate planning.

✔ Safe Delivery in a Live Rail Environment
Zero incidents, zero environmental non‑conformances, and full adherence to rail safety protocols.

✔ Demonstrated Multi‑Disciplinary Capability
Integrated survey, civils, telecoms and logistics delivery—removing interfaces and simplifying client management.

Why This Case Study Matters

This project demonstrates Sunville Rail’s ability to deliver complex, multi‑disciplinary telecoms and civils works across extended rail corridors, with full control of safety, logistics, technical quality and programme.

Sunville Rail Limited has established itself as one of the UK rail industry’s leading fibre installation specialists, delivering over 1,100 km of lineside fibre across the network over the past decade.

Our projects consistently achieve some of the lowest cost‑per‑metre rates in the industry, driven by extensive experience, multi‑regional knowledge and a proven ability to deliver efficiencies and savings for our clients.

This track record—combined with the agility and responsiveness of an SME—ensures works are delivered ahead of programme and within budget.

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