Eric Wright Civil Engineering awarded Principal Contractor Licence by Network Rail

Eric Wright Civil Engineering Ltd has achieved a major breakthrough in the UK rail sector following the formal award of a Principal Contractor Licence (PCL) to the company by Network Rail.

This licence (provisional) enables Eric Wright Civil Engineering to act as a main or Principal Contractor in the execution of construction projects across the UK on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure on behalf of Network Rail Investment Projects.

The Principal Contractor license is issued in accordance with Network Rail Standard NR/L2/INI/CP0070 and is subject to the ongoing satisfaction of the license conditions detailed within Clause 6.2.1 of the standard.

Network Rail (NR) requires that all contractors undertaking works in possessions on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure demonstrate the suitability of its organisation and arrangements (through effective systems and processes) to manage the health, safety, environmental and quality aspects of their business thereby achieving its objectives. These systems and processes are detailed within the Principal Contractor Licence.

In order to obtain this licence, Eric Wright Civil Engineering had to pass a rigorous two-stage audit process. The first stage was the ‘Core Requirements (Trackside) Audit' with Achilles Link-up (i.e. the single common registration, qualification and audit process for suppliers to the UK rail industry) and the maintenance of a suite of auditable product codes relevant to the services being provided. This was followed by the License Audit which is exclusive to Network Rail, carried out by a NR Assurance Specialist and based on a combination of Core and Principal Contractor Licensing Requirements.

Adrian Taylor, Contracts Director for Eric Wright Civil Engineering said: "We are absolutely delighted to have received our Provisional Principal Contractors License; it is a reflection of the dedication and hard work put in by the team.  We now look forward to working with Network Rail and the expansion of our Rail Division as part of our on-going commitment to the sector."

Posted: 1st June 2012