Latest News

We had a successful week indertaking the enabling works for the DRiive project at Barrow Hill Rail Centre.  This enabling works comprised the removal and relocation of 170m of track including top ballast in preparation for the construction of the new Innovation Centre.  The adjacent track was also slewed to allow room for the new building.  The team worked within a rigorous safety regime set up by the principal contractor and passed all audits with flying colours.  A great deal of thanks goes to Paul Metcalfe and his team at Quattro plant who supported our team with RRV machines and plant.

Well doen to the BCL team and our chief P.Way engineer Brian G.

After the track had been removed. All ready for the new building

We at Bycroft Consulting Ltd are enormously proud to announce that after a number of months working behind the scenes, we have been chosen as the rail subcontractor to the principal contractor Stepnell Construction for the rail removals and development for the Derbyshire Rail Innovation Vehicle (DRiive) at Barrowhill Rail Centre.

Starting from 17th March, Bycroft Consulting will remove 170m of existing track, including top ballast, laying all the materials safely away from the worksite.  The following week, a UTX will be installed to allow the national grid to feed cables at a later date.

Starting in July, Bycroft Consulting will return to site, where the new Innovation Centre will be ready for the track to be returned including 2 inspection pits and concrete encased rail.

This is an exciting project which we at Bycroft Consulting are proud to be a part of.

February has so far seen the team working in the Highlands undertaking a programmed works package of new rails.  This work has been part of the long term improvement works future proofing the clients asset.  Bycroft Consulting Ltd are pleased to see a new member of the Newcastle team.  Oliver Foley has joined the team and can be seen in one of the phots being shown by supervisor Jack Douglas how to use the rail drill.

The work was completed on time and in poor weather, so a big thumbs up to the BCL team.  Well done everyone!

2025 has got off to a great start.  We have a new vehicle to add to our fleet.

Chris Bycroft taking delivery of the new crew van from Ben Griffiths at TrustFord, Barnsley

New crew van all lettered up.

Many thanks to John Espin signs for a cracking job as usual putting the vinyls on the van

The new van was then delivered to the North East team and the above photo shows it on its first outing working alongside one of the other vans

During the latter part of 2024 and into the beginning of 2025, senior management at BCL have been negotiating with a number of large clients and exciting news is on the horizon.  Watch out for updates over the next few weeks

After a much needed break in San Francisco, during which we walked the length of the Golden Gate Bridge twice as part of the Pyjama Walk in support of Bassetlaw Hospice, many thanks to those that supported us, we came back home and straight back to work, covering the length and breadth of the UK.

We’ve carried out a number of rail inspections, and carried out programmed works to improve client assets as far afield as the Highlands of Scotland and the South of England with more to follow.

In addition, BCL management have attended a number of contractor involvement meetings in the South of England for projects commencing early 2025.

Our drones have been out of their boxes, undertaking flights in the midlands and London providing clients with an alternative view of their valuable assets.

We are looking forward to a busy December, and then a well desrved break over Christmas, ready to hit the ground running in January 2025.

Finally, exciting news!!  Bycroft Consulting have been accepted as a commercial partner for the Heritage Railway Association and we look forward to supporting them and the wider Heritage, Tramway and Museum family.

Recent works have seen some of the team working back to back weeks away with sleeper and timber renewals in Derbyshire and Wiltshire.

Special mention to Jack Douglas who has made supervisor.  Jack is becoming a key part of the team and once his driving test is passed he will be taking control of BCL worksites.

Also, great efforts from Adam and Phil over the last few weeks, and of course Steve, who turns machine driving into an art form!

Whilst working in North Derbyshire, we took the opportunity to introduce our office manager, Gill Reed to the realities of track work and at the same time to meet some of the lads.  Gill was encouraged to have a go on the battery impactor assisted by Adam, and she loved it.

Wow!  July has been a very busy month for Bycroft Consulting.  Here are some of the highlights

1.  We aquired another new van to add to the fleet

2.   Some of our recent works around the country.

1.  Up in the North of Scotland

2.  Down in London

3  The lads in London enjoying a well earned meal at the Ace Cafe

4.  Directors Chris Bycroft and Karen Foster have gained their CAA drone pilot licences to enable us to operate our 2 drones commercially.  Here is a recent photo taken with one of the drones.

5.  Director Karen Foster has recently undertaken the Mental Health First Aid course and is now a qualified Mental Health First Aider – Well done Karen

6  And finally, Bycroft Consulting are proud to announce that our Managing Director Chris Bycroft is now the professional Head of PWay for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  Congratulations Chris!!

I spoke to a lot of lovely people last week, who were very interested in the work we were doing.  None more so than my lovely little assistant Theo, who was fascinated by all the plant on site.  We gave him a hi vis vest and one day he brought his own yellow hard hat.  Thank you to Theo for making my week!  and to Theo’s dad for giving me permission to post Theo’s photograph.

A challenging week at Telford Steam Railway excavating 30m of track encased in tarmac, concrete and spoil from the engine shed across a public access crossing before installing new concrete sleepers with FB rail and a 27m Strail Crossing system.  The work required a week long road closure and thermic welding of track panels.  The project was completed ahead of schedule and to the satisfaction of the client.  Special mention to BCL director Karen Foster who spent the week preventing interested locals wandering around the worksite, and to our Newcastle team who worked tirelessly through to 9pm on Friday to complete the works.  Also Jonathon Quin at Quin Plant, the Haigh Rail weld team, Billy from L&M Surveys and of course Chris Whitehead and the Telford Steam Railway Volunteers without whose support we could not have completed the work.

At the start

Team Bycroft spot re-sleepering in North Derbyshire. A special mention to Alex who has recently joined the team

The team hard at work in North Derbyshire

Another shot of the team hard at work in North Derbyshire

And for those train fanatics amongst us, we were privileged to witness the wonderfully restored D213 and 45118 crossing our worksite prior to online testing.  We were also lucky to have tank engine “Harry” who visited the worksite and helped us clear up on the last day.