2024: a year in review

As we approach the end of another year, we’re shining a spotlight on just some of our most impressive achievements. From project milestones and sustainability victories, to progress on our equality, diversity and inclusion goals, we’ve been very busy!

Sustainability and social value

It is more important than ever to act collectively to address the challenges facing society, the economy and our planet. In every project and solution we deliver, we aim to create economic and social wellbeing, and to make a lasting positive impact on the environment. Sustainability is embedded into our business approach. This year, we continued to take strides forward in creating sustainable value for all our stakeholders, and our own business.

At the start of the year we appointed David White as our new Director of Health, Safety, Security & Sustainability to lead on our commitment to keeping colleagues safe and well, and lowering the carbon impact of our UK and Ireland activities. Riona Ainge later joined David in the newly created position of Sustainability Lead, which focuses on reducing carbon footprint and broadening social value. The role was created to support the delivery of our four key sustainability mission pillars – social purpose, climate action, responsible business and environmental stewardship.

But these weren’t the only big sustainability successes for the business this year. We were very proud to join the specialist Net Zero Bridges Group and sign the ‘UK Civil Engineers Declare Climate & Biodiversity Emergency’ declaration. The group are committed to helping the industry reduce its carbon footprint as quickly as possible, through shaping best practice, and sharing knowledge and ideas. As bridges are one of the most carbon intensive elements of infrastructure, we were very keen to join and engage with other companies that are part of the group.

Our colleagues also took part in some intensive but rewarding carbon literacy training led by Positive Planet. The training left the participants feeling incredibly motivated and hopeful, and everyone who undertook the training came away with a pledge to reduce their individual carbon footprint – an important commitment made by the whole business in order to achieve carbon net zero emissions by 2050, as per our Carbon Reduction Plan.

Speaking of carbon reduction, during December we agreed our carbon net zero targets with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), further enhancing our commitment to becoming carbon net zero by 2050. The reductions will cover everything from office lighting and heating to supply chain emissions!

Our sustainability milestones weren’t just limited to the business itself – the progress we made on projects embodied our commitment to making a lasting positive impact too.

Back in April, the Greater Manchester ‘Places for Everyone’ plan, which will provide jobs, new homes and sustainable growth, was formally adopted. Between 2019 and 2024, our specialists were very proud to support the work as technical advisor to Transport for Greater Manchester, providing a wide range of expertise across planning; transport planning; strategic; micro-simulation and junction modelling; preliminary public transport; active travel and highway design and costing; and ‘examination in public’ work.

And, we had a knockout year for our work with electric vehicles. With an increase in the use of low-carbon vehicles likely to be a critical component in the delivery of a net zero carbon economy, our specialists are at the forefront of innovation in mobility and low-carbon transport solutions.

Our teams worked with Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, along with Stagecoach Bus and East Yorkshire Buses to secure ZEBRA2 funding, which will support the delivery and operation of 40 new electric buses serving key routes across Hull city centre.

Our framework appointment (alongside partners KMPG and Savills) to the Welsh Government’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy was an exciting advancement for the business, opening up a significant new workstream that supports our bold decarbonisation growth initiative. The strategy aims to increase public confidence in the availability of charging infrastructure in Wales, which will in-turn facilitate increased ownership.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are leading the way in championing equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in the engineering and transport sectors. Our commitment to ED&I is proactive and ongoing, as we work to build diverse and inclusive workspaces that respect, value and optimise the contribution of all our colleagues. Through creating and celebrating the diversity that reflects our communities, we in-turn enhance our capabilities and capacity for innovation and optimum performance.

This year we worked as hard as ever on our ED&I strategic pillars.

We entered into a game-changing partnership with Women in Transport – an organisation that empowers women by creating opportunities for networking and professional development in the transport sector across all modes and disciplines. Through the partnership, we look forward to taking further positive steps towards closing the gender pay gap by actively engaging with women in our industry and better understanding their experiences.

We also became Level 2 Disability Confident. Our position on the UK government scheme highlights the business as having gone the extra mile to improve recruitment, retainment and development for those that have disabilities.

The health, safety and security of our people and the solutions we deliver is our priority. Ensuring that we offer appropriate, well-fitting personal protective equipment for our colleagues’ on-site visits is absolutely crucial to this, whether it be maternity or women-specific fit. This year we took our commitment to the next level and signed the Inclusive PPE Campaign Pledge and Protection for Everyone Charter, which upholds that all workers deserve and require access to well-fitting PPE to work comfortably. As part of our commitment, we will be leading by example and sharing best practice with our contractors and suppliers.

Our wide-reaching ED&I initiatives target many diverse areas, including training in LGBTQIA+ awareness. Over the summer, our colleagues celebrated our dedication to LGBTQIA+ ED&I in the loudest and proudest way possible – at Leeds Pride. We showed up in force for the SYSTRA-sponsored event, alongside friends and family, to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Enhancing our work environments

We have been through monumental growth in recent years, and our offices are exciting, ambitious, stimulating places to work. We’re keen to make sure our spaces reflect the personal and professional needs of our leading thinkers, keen collaborators and supportive peers. By creating a comfortable, positive and inspiring environment, our colleagues thrive and their work reflect this.

Throughout the year we’ve been on a mission to continue enhancing our workspaces to ensure we retain and attract top industry talent.

We upgraded a number of our offices to bigger, better spaces. In March we expanded our presence in the North East of England with a larger Newcastle office due to our growing client base, and also relocated our Edinburgh office as part of our long-term commitment to Scotland, in direct response to strong growth across the UK. Less than a month later we moved our Leeds office location, further bolstering our commitment to developing talent in the city and across the Yorkshire region. We also redesigned our York office to be a more welcoming, visually appealing space for our colleagues, to match our other amazing office locations. The new office features a wellbeing room, book nook, collaboration areas, luscious green planters, and artistic York themed wall designs by our very own graphic designer!

In November we were thrilled to welcome our Group CEO Jean-Charles Vollery to both our Manchester and York offices, where he held fantastic Q&A sessions and shared his exciting vision for the business.

Colleague Success

Excellence is at the heart of everything we do, and the technical expertise and experience of our colleagues is unrivalled. Within the business we love to celebrate our colleagues’ wins – external recognition is really the cherry on top.

Our expertise was highlighted through a number of colleague successes this year, from a Transport Planning Society official board appointment to multiple CIWEM accolades, fellowships with the Institution of Civil Engineers, accreditations, and even a visiting professor in cybersecurity appointment.

On top of this, so many of our specialists have won prestigious awards over the past 12 months – too many to list in fact! To name but a few:

• Geotechnics Discipline Lead Charlotte Woodhall-Jones was named among the Top 20 Women in Ground Engineering for her work helping to foster a more inclusive and sustainable ground engineering sector.
• Jenny Jefferies, Consents Technical Expert, was selected as one of The Planner Magazine’s Women of Influence for her “remarkable grit and resilience”.
• Emily Rose-Maule (Assistant Engineer) was awarded the Lighting Industry Association (LIA) Advanced Exterior Lighting Design Certificate for Outstanding Student of the Year and the Lightmongers LIA Award 2023/2024.

The hard work and dedication of our Signature Team never fails to impress us. Our people are our most valuable asset, and we’re always on the lookout for more team members who want to work on ground-breaking and innovative projects that have a tangible impact on the world.

Standout market successes

Here at SYSTRA we’ve been specialising in infrastructure and mobility solutions, creating, improving and modernising infrastructure for more than 50 years – and 2024 was certainly no different.

2024 saw yet another year of working in partnership with our clients to deliver inspirational places and systems that connect people seamlessly, enhance wellbeing, stimulate economies, and provide a sustainable legacy for future generations. Our multi-disciplinary Connected Teams supported the delivery of major projects across the transport, energy, environmental and built-environment sectors through their expertise in design, consultancy, project management, engineering and construction supervision.

There simply isn’t the time to list all our market successes throughout the year, so below are some of the standout wins.

Conventional rail

Alongside Balfour Beatty, Mott MacDonald and Skansa, we were thrilled to announce our place as design partners in the Midlands Rail Alliance. The alliance will put forward a joint bid to deliver the upcoming Midlands Rail Hub, which is set to transform connectivity for the region. Should the Midlands Rail Alliance be selected, we will bring innovation and best practice across all areas, particularly in Modern Methods of Construction and through our industry-leading testing and commissioning skills.

We also signed a new contract with Costain to develop the ES1-3 initial high-level design and feasibility for the Bradford Forster Square station upgrade. Our specialists will provide consultancy services for the Business Case; Architecture team-led engineering expertise; and programme management. The project is a critical step toward enhancing the station’s infrastructure and its connectivity to central Bradford.

Water and environment

Securing our place on the United Utilities framework to improve river quality across the North West of England, was a major win for our specialists this year. Our teams will provide their expertise in nature-based solutions to cover a range of requirements such as rain gardens, green and blue roofs, constructed wetlands and swales.

Highways

This year we celebrated a host of impressive new bridge openings and installations:

• Official opening of the Dighty Bridge and reopening of the National Cycle Network (Route 1) coastal path route from Broughty Ferry to Monifieth – funded by the Scottish Government, the project aims to create a better, safer environment for people to walk, wheel and cycle, and to encourage healthier lifestyles through active travel. Since 2019, SYSTRA supported Dundee City Council and Angus Council with stakeholder and public engagement, behaviour change, and monitoring and evaluation on the £18 million upgrade
• In May we saw the official opening of the new permanent River Clyde crossing in South Lanarkshire. Our Signature Team led on the design, substructure works, highway alignment, flood modelling and geotechnical design – it’s the second longest ‘Mabey’ bridge in the UK!
• We achieved a major milestone on the Grovehurst Junction project, as a new bridge over the A249 was installed as part of the roundabout works between Iwade and Kemsley. The new bridge will enable a much larger roundabout gyratory system to be implemented over the top of the A249, which will assist with increased future traffic flows due to expected population growth in the area.

Our work, alongside Frontier Economics, on The National Bus Strategy Evaluation for the Department of Transport took huge strides in 2024. The project’s first interim report was published as part of a wider £1 million, 3-year evaluation piece. The report involved the technical excellence and collaboration of our social and market research, data science and transport planning specialists, who took the scheme from concept and feasibility design stages, to planning submission, public consultation, detailed design and construction.

Just recently we secured £43.5k from Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) for AI research into road safety incidents. We are excited to develop an innovative new AI application that can classify: the physical environment surrounding road collisions, identifying where risks of serious and fatal collisions exist on the road network; what type, quantity and severity of incidents are associated with different physical environments; and how the existing physical environment could be changed to improve road safety. The application will provide invaluable road safety risk insights for road and urban designers, prior to work beginning on the ground.

Ireland

Towards the latter end of the year, we were thrilled to be awarded a Single Party Framework Agreement, alongside Egis, to provide multi-disciplinary consultancy services to Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail). The services will support Irish Rail with the planning, design and execution of railway and related infrastructure projects, involving all stages of project development from strategic planning and policy development to design, procurement, and construction.

Signing the contract with Galway County Council for the design of two major new active travel schemes in Athenry and Tuam, was another big win for the business. Funds from the National Transport Authority will facilitate the design of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure and traffic calming measures in both towns. Our specialists will take the schemes through the preliminary design and planning stages – we’re already looking forward to the commencement of construction later in 2026!

International

Throughout the year, our skills and expertise hasn’t just been limited to the UK and Ireland – it’s also been recognised on global scale.

In March we were appointed for the detailed design work of Canada’s exciting new Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS), in collaboration with SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies (SIBT). The transformative project, which will extend the Expo Line by 16kms (primarily along Fraser Highway, connecting King George SkyTrain Station in Surrey to Langley City), aims to enhance regional connections and provide fast, frequent and reliable transit services across Metro Vancouver.

Through the SkyLink Guideway Partners (SLGP) group, our detailed design will provide elevated guideways, including superstructure, substructure and foundations.

HS2

We are a key player on the HS2 project as part of two joint ventures. In 2017 we were selected by the Balfour Beatty VINCI JV to provide the civil engineering design of lots N1 and N2, in a 50:50 design JV with Mott MacDonald – the Main Works Civils Contract (MWCC). Later in 2019, as part of a Tier 1 JV with Balfour Beatty and VINCI, we won the contract as Construction Delivery Partner for the new Old Oak Common station – the largest railway station to be built in London for a century.

Our work on HS2 to date showcases our digital design solutions and impressive expertise in providing robust and efficient services to maximum value. And, over the past 12 months there have been countless successes on both of our HS2 joint ventures.

MWCC

• In February we saw the moving into place of the first Delta Junction Viaduct over the M42/M6, in just 11.5 hours!
• In March planning approval was granted for two major aspects – the green tunnel in Burton Green and the River Blythe Viaduct.
• We reached another two milestones in April. The second Delta Junction Viaduct section over the M42/M6 was moved in to place, and the first completed sections of the Curzon Street station viaducts were revealed.
• In July Bellingham Bridge began to take shape with the completion of the piers on the Curzon 2 Viaduct, and the first span of the 472-metre-long single-track viaduct (River Tame West Viaducts) was built using a specialist cantilever process – the first time it has ever been used in the UK!
• August saw the completion of the A542 Kenilworth Road bridge, and the launch of the Aston Church Road bridge. On top of this, the tunnelling work into Birmingham reached the halfway point.
• September was another busy month for milestones, as the project celebrated its first completed viaduct (Highfurlong Brook Viaduct), the final deck segment was installed on the Colne Valley Viaduct, and the first viaduct structures were completed at Delta Junction.

Old Oak Common

• In January the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Lydia’ broke through into the station box, completing the Atlas Road Logistics tunnel.
• In February the electrical system at OOC became diesel free.
• June saw the first phase of piling at the Conventional Station and SAB were completed!
• During July we saw a huge milestone achieved – the completion of the box excavation, with 1.3 million tonnes of London Clay having been removed over the course of three years! The team also began dismantling the conveyor system, removing the 57-tonne, 60 metre-long conveyor gantry that spanned across Old Oak Common Lane.
• In September all excavation was completed!
• And to round off the year the giant tunnelling machines are ready for an impressive 4.5-mile drive to Euston.

TRU East

As part of the TRU East Alliance (alongside Network Rail, VolkerRail, Siemens and Murphy), we’re very proud of our work as Principal Designer on the largest conventional rail project in the UK, which aims to decrease journey times and increase reliability, capacity and safety.

This year, the TRU East project moved forward with quite some pace:

• In June, the first of 12 major bridge works were completed with the reconstruction of the London Road Bridge.
• During July we achieved the energisation of the new electrification system in North Yorkshire.
• September welcomed in some major milestones – the first electric trains successfully completed test runs along the electrified section of railway between York and Church Fenton, and the track section cabinet at Neville Hill was commissioned.
• In October, the Secretary of State for Transport approved a Transport and Works Act Order, granting permission for further major upgrades between Leeds and Micklefield. This enables plans for 5 level crossings with safer alternatives, reconstruction and removal of bridges to allow electrification, and installation of small-scale infrastructure.

ECML PSU

This year marked a lot of progress for the East Coast Main Line (ECML) Power Supply Upgrade (PSU) project. Alongside our REAL Alliance partners Jacobs, J Murphy & Sons, Network Rail, Siemens Mobility and VolkerRail, we celebrated a lot of significant milestones, moving us closer towards faster, quieter and more environmentally friendly electric trains on the ECML:

• To kick the year off, the largest rail Static Frequency Convertor system in the world was commissioned at Hambleton Junction in March. We also finalised the protection system installation, and Entered into Service successfully and safely at the Biggleswade Mid-Point Track Sectioning Cabin.
• Later in April, the Alliance successfully entered Northallerton TSC into service.
• In June we also entered Tursdale TSC into service.
• July was another big month for milestones, as we welcomed the installation of twin track cantilevers in Chester-le-Street (the last two structures to be installed on phase two), and Aycliffe MPTSC was also successfully delivered to the site.
• In October we celebrated both the Entry into Service for the Doncaster Track Sectioning Cabin, and also the successful completion of the final ASG delivery at Chester-le-Street.

Spotlight on our project awards

Our colleagues have once again worked incredibly hard this year across the board. Below is a selection of awards we’ve won for outstanding delivery on our projects. These accolades are truly a testament to our colleagues and culture, and remind of us of the pride we feel for our positive contribution towards society, and creating places that thrive.

• Network Rail Safety / Health / Environment / Leadership / Team Awards – we won the Construction Safety Award for our 4D construction planning and visualisation initiative, as used on TRU East.
• Institution of Structural Engineers’ Midland Counties Structural Awards – as part of DJV with Mott MacDonald on HS2, we won the Profession Award for raising design standards and inspirational work on the A452 Kenilworth Road Overbridge. We also won the Process Award for the minimisation of traffic disruption using a push and pull technique for the launch of the Delta Junction viaducts.
• Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Awards 2024 – the Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA JV won the CIHT and WSP Sustainability Award for the work carried out at HS2’s Old Oak Common station.
• Green World Awards – further to winning the Green Apple Environment Award in November 2023, the Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA JV won bronze for both Building and Construction and Carbon Reduction at this year’s international Green World Awards.
• Tekla BIM Awards – the Gatwick Airport Station redevelopment won in the Infrastructure Project category.
• Institution of Civil Engineers Yorkshire & Humber Awards – the TRU East NOC/23 culvert replacement took home a certificate of commendation in the Smeaton Awards category.
• National Rail Awards – the ECML PSU REAL Alliance won the Innovation of the Year award.
• Chartered Institute of Building Awards – the Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA JV took home the team award in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion category for HS2’s Old Oak Common station.
• Considerate Constructors Scheme National Awards – the Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA JV won the Community Enrichment award for HS2’s Old Oak Common station.

And that’s a wrap on another epic year!

We’d like to wish our colleagues, partners and clients a very happy new year, we can’t wait to work on more innovative, award-winning projects in 2025!

If you’d like to work with us in any capacity, please get in touch with our experts.