Civil Engineering Today briefing: Thursday 22 October 2026

Stories from the last 24 hours

• David Horne named integrated chief customer and commercial officer for Britain's railway

  The LNER managing director will sit on the executive teams of both Network Rail and DfT Operator from November, leading a single customer and commercial strategy ahead of Great British Railways.

• DfT releases £220m incentive funding as councils project 7,000 miles of resurfacing

  The Department for Transport has released £220m of performance-linked road maintenance funding to English councils, as provisional transparency reports project a record £4.9bn spend and more preventative work in 2026-27.

• Network Rail to complete checks on 130 North West drainage and earthworks hot spots by end of October

  Network Rail and contractor QTS Group have been inspecting priority sites including Culcheth on the Chat Moss line, alongside a £41m earthworks programme and a £7.5m leaf-treatment operation.

• Network Rail starts two weekends of East Coast Main Line renewals in North Yorkshire

  Points, track, drainage and overhead line work at locations across North Yorkshire runs over 24-25 October and 31 October-1 November, while a nine-day closure at Church Fenton allows a new road bridge to go in.

• Network Rail starts £8m crossover and resignalling scheme at Dalwhinnie

  Two weekend closures on the Highland Main Line in October and November will see about 400 yards of track renewed and colour light signals installed so northbound trains can reach the step-free platform.