Fewer trains have been cancelled in Wales and the West of England and more are arriving on time, following an investigation into Network Rail's performance by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) Full story

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has welcomed the publication of the proposed seventh carbon budget, which was released today by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Full story:

The UK Government has published a four‑year strategy aimed at strengthening cyber security across the country’s energy system as it undergoes rapid decarbonisation and digitalisation Full story: buff.ly/Z7Ldh3O

Work conducted on the Midland Main Line has helped to increase freight use, despite the government's pause on electrifying the line Full story: buff.ly/cVHGNrv

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd has pushed back the anticipated start date of its £1.03bn Interim Maintenance Contracts (IMC) procurement by more than four months. Full story:

International engineering consulting group Cowi has acquired Punch Consulting Engineers Full story: buff.ly/VVlSX4a

HS2’s recent announcements of its new budgets and timelines are a product but not the conclusion of chief exec Mark Wild’s review, there is still a lot to learn. Here, NCE looks at other major UK projects that went right and wrong Full story: buff.ly/jIi570d

Architecture, engineering and environment consultancy firm Sweco has been awarded a framework agreement by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) to provide consulting services related to flood and erosion protection measures across Norway Full story:

A proposed railway line between Okehampton and Penzance will be explored by Cornwall Council, after it agreed to conduct a feasibility study Full story:

WSP has been appointed as a supplier on all three Flood Risk and Asset Management (FRAM) lots, within the Government Commercial Agency’s Construction Professional Services 2 (CPS2) framework Full story:

Saudi Arabia’s gigaproject Neom - formed of five megaprojects including The Line - appears to have stalled completely, according to a public relations professional who previously represented Neom Full story: buff.ly/L3rbIIN

Surging energy costs risk undermining the competitiveness of UK manufacturers by soaking up more operating budgets and sapping essential resources for investment, according to a recent report, writes SEFE Energy head of UK corporate account management Sam Sherlock. Read here: buff.ly/ex1LYgk

The infrastructure and civil engineering sector has seen a flurry of appointments, departures and the creation of new roles as we reach the halfway point of 2026. Here is a selection of the biggest moves in May: buff.ly/ZecAthr

A fire on the railway line near Rustington in West Sussex led to what Network Rail described as “major disruption” on the Southern Railway network, with no trains running between Worthing and Littlehampton/Barnham Full story: buff.ly/CYc4E9X

A 750t all-terrain mobile crane lifted the nine pieces that make up the staircases and bridge deck at Bristol Brabazon station over the Bank Holiday weekend Full story:

A total of 13 contractors have secured places on a new £150M Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) highways framework that will deliver road maintenance, improvement and resurfacing schemes across the county until January 2030 Full story:

Wires will be replaced by Balfour Beatty on behalf of National Grid on a 40km section of the electricity transmission network, covering 115 pylons, between Mannington substation in East Dorset and Nursling substation in Southampton Full story:

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has appointed Esh Construction to deliver a £3.1M flood alleviation scheme, aimed at reducing the risk of repeating the severe flooding that has occurred in the village of Whiston in recent years Full story:

Sean Carr Lining Technology (SCLT) has completed work on a lagoon that will store underground water from forthcoming lithium exploration in Cornwall as the project awaits its Final Investment Decision (FID) Full story: buff.ly/Eq2pTat

VolkerFitzpatrick is continuing to progress works on a £61M infrastructure scheme designed to ease congestion and improve journey times in Canterbury, Kent. Full story: buff.ly/CkQHESc

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) has become a key pillar of UK decarbonisation, but it is not without its critics. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries head of CCUS in EMEA John Picken discusses the matter Full story: buff.ly/g0f7WxZ

The UK’s industry guidance for managing highways and their assets is being refreshed to reflect changes in the sector since the past iteration of the code was published 10 years ago Full story:

After two decades of decommissioning work, the programme to manage the highest activity radioactive waste at the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in north Wales has been completed Full story:

Work has begun to strengthen a 132‑year‑old railway bridge in Leeds for the purpose of keeping the structure safe and serviceable for both trains and road users Full story: buff.ly/lEF9ePR

As a planning specialist at a civils-led event, Birmingham Airport (BHX) head of planning, transport and strategy Nikki Baines had a unique sectoral perspective to share with attendees at New Civil Engineer’s recent Airports conference Full story:

The European Commission has launched a call for evidence to support the development of an EU-wide Action Plan on digitalisation in the water sector Full story:

Bridge launches are highly technical engineering operations that involve moving a pre-assembled bridge structure into its final position. While this method can reduce on-site construction time, it introduces significant complexities Full story:

The latest episode of the Engineers Collective is out now. This month’s guest is Billy Thursfield, Bam sub-agent for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), who joined us from Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island, in Antarctica Listen here: buff.ly/J1uBPUK

Tarmac has opened a new asphalt plant in Northumberland that incorporates “innovative sustainable technologies” to reduce carbon emissions for its customers across the North East Full story:

New infrastructure has been introduced at Over Kellet and Nether Kellet Wastewater Treatment Works, including new chemical dosing equipment Full story:

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd has outlined plans for a major new procurement programme aimed at protecting and maintaining completed infrastructure across Britain’s high-speed rail project during a transitional phase of delivery Full story:

The NCSC has issued a stark warning: operators of Critical National Infrastructure should prepare for the possibility of severe cyber-attacks, writes David Bean, business development group manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems Division Read here:

The Environment Agency’s shift from a project-based to a capital programme-wide approach for low-carbon technologies trials could become an exemplar of how infrastructure clients can accelerate the decarbonisation of their activities Full story: buff.ly/PqSej03

The government has formed a new taskforce to make recommendations on how mass transit systems can be delivered more efficiently in the UK Full story:

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) - the trading fund and executive agency of the Cabinet Office - has launched procurement for a major new construction and infrastructure framework, with an estimated value of £120bn Full story: buff.ly/VvvSLml

National Highways will invest more than £50M on the next phase of “essential” and “extensive” repairs to a road bridge on the M5 in North Somerset Full story:

The CCC is setting a blueprint for adapting to the risks posed by climate change. It's more than a technical exercise, it’s ultimately about safeguarding lives and livelihoods, writes Francis Heil, associate director – climate change and resilience at AtkinsRéalis Read here

With just two years to go before the 30-year PFI concession for the A55 Anglesey extension comes to an end, the final phase of works to repair and future-proof the historic Menai Suspension Bridge in north Wales has just begun Full story: buff.ly/VVo6pvE

National Highways has filed a breach of contract filing in the High Court against WSP over the work the consultancy did as the lead advisor to the roads body’s roadmap to net zero Full story: buff.ly/TIqNprj

There is potential for symbiotic relationships between data centres and airports due to their shared need for highly resilient energy supplies, but the high demand for data centres could be a bubble, according to an airports strategy expert Full story: buff.ly/QMNk8RR

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled reforms giving the Parliament the authority to approve major clean energy projects, which will narrow the scope of judicial reviews Full story:

Jacobs has been appointed by Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) to carry out environmental consultancy services, including baselining, at its Oldbury site in Gloucestershire, which could in future host a new nuclear power project Full story:

NCE has been provided exclusive access to a timelapse video of Marr installing the roof trusses for Hinkley Point C's Unit 2 turbine hall Full story: buff.ly/GWPc3da

Brian Uy, the Sydney-based 105th President of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), who delivered his inaugural address ‘Structural engineering: past, present and future’ in January, has identified his key themes for his presidential year Full story:

Why integrated thinking, earlier collaboration and partnering across the project lifecycle are critical 🖋️ Fiona O’Connell, managing director of Stockton Group Read more: buff.ly/hSs5wgN

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is moving forward with a national geotechnical data service intended to help UK construction projects identify and manage ground-related risks earlier in the planning process Full story: buff.ly/ERLMVue

The Port of Southampton says it is strengthening its position as a vital link in the UK’s renewable energy supply chains as it grows its partnership with Vestas, a global leader in sustainable wind energy technology Full story: buff.ly/LAPvByO

Darlington train station has opened to the public, marking one of “the most significant station investments on the East Coast Main Line in recent years” Full story:

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) said it supports the recommendations made by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following its market study into road and rail infrastructure Full story: buff.ly/VyVq9dz

Engineering services and nuclear company AtkinsRéalis has been appointed by Babcock International to its Global Engineering Services Framework to support the delivery of complex defence projects. Full story: buff.ly/qHtUj2w