Amey celebrates double award win for Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme
Amey is celebrating a landmark double win for the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme at the 2026 British Construction & Infrastructure Awards.
Delivered in collaboration with Transport for Wales, the £1.5 billion programme received the Sir John Armitt Prize, the awards’ flagship accolade recognising infrastructure projects that deliver significant benefits for clients, stakeholders and society, alongside the Transport Project Award for excellence in transport infrastructure.
The programme is transforming 170km of railway across the South Wales Valleys through electrification, digital signalling, station improvements, new stations and new trains. Judges described it as “a benchmark project for the challenge ahead for Great British Railways.”
The programme is delivering significant improvements for passengers, with electrification of the Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Treherbert, Cardiff and City lines enabling cleaner, faster and more reliable services. New trains on the Rhymney line are improving comfort and accessibility, while many journeys can now be made without changing trains in Cardiff. Seven new passing loops are also enabling services on key Valley lines to increase from two to four trains per hour, while modern digital signalling has replaced a 100-year-old token exchange system on the Treherbert line, further improving reliability.
Peter Anderson, Managing Director at Amey, said: “To receive two of the industry’s leading awards is a fantastic recognition of what has been achieved through the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme. This has been a hugely ambitious and complex programme, and its success reflects the strength of the collaboration between Amey, Transport for Wales and our wider delivery partners.
“What makes me particularly proud is the difference the programme is making beyond the railway itself. By improving connections between communities and opening access to employment, education and opportunity, we are creating infrastructure that will deliver benefits across South Wales for years to come.”
Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer for Transport for Wales, said: “Winning both the Transport Project of the Year Award and the Sir John Armitt Prize is a tremendous achievement and a fitting recognition by the whole UK construction industry of the ambition, collaboration and dedication that has driven the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme.
“Bringing together infrastructure maintenance, enhancements, new rolling stock and rail operations as a single, coherent enterprise has been fundamental to its success. A programme this complex cannot be delivered by one organisation or discipline alone.
“These awards reflect the lasting impact the programme will have for passengers and communities for generations to come. I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in its success.”
Organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers and New Civil Engineer, the British Construction & Infrastructure Awards recognise excellence in infrastructure delivery and projects that create positive outcomes for society.
Sarah Noble, Amey’s Design Delivery Director for CVL, shares why winning the award matters to Amey and reflects on the contribution of the people behind the programme.
