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New National Centre open for business

New National Centre open for business

04/07/2012 | Channel: Infrastructure, New Products & Services

The first of around 3000 people moved into Network Rail’s new national centre in Milton Keynes on 11th June, 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 co-ordinates 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.

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 3000 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.

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. zz