Carillion has hosted a visit from Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Transport Stephen Hammond to its hugely complex Canal Tunnels project in London.

The scheme near Kings Cross Station forms part of Carillion's £120 million Key Output 2 (KO2) contract with Thameslink.

The Minister met with 10 apprentices who have been on site since August and have completed a 16 week block training course gaining technical certification and Health and Safety training.

As part of the Rail Apprentice programme, each Apprentice has also completed their PTS and Track Induction, through Carillion Rail Training. The Apprentices are now gaining hands on practical skills and experience working towards their NVQ portfolio completion.


The Minister toured the site to gain an insight into the challenging work requirements of the project, along with an understanding of how Carillion's apprenticeship programme is helping apprentices to develop the necessary skills for such a complex scheme.

Work involves the fitting out of twin 650 meter-long tunnels underneath Regents Canal to help upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network and connect the East Coast Mainline with the Midland Mainline at St Pancras - allowing passengers to travel through London without having to change trains.

The site is situated close to trains running into St Pancras, the High Speed 1 line and the East Coast Mainline to and from Kings Cross.

Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said: "Thameslink is one of the most important transport projects currently underway. It is vital for the renaissance in the rail network, underpinned by £38bn of investment, across London and the rest of the country.

"This project won't just give us a new piece of transport infrastructure, it is also creating a skills legacy which we must capitalise on. The apprentices who are cutting their teeth on this Thameslink are gaining the skills that will see them work on the ever increasing number of projects coming down the tracks."

(CD)