Building on its reputation as a company that is able to deliver manpower solutions in a range of settings, SWGR was asked to supply experienced railway personnel to a rail tunnel upgrade scheme in Southampton in December 2009.

The main thrust of this £71m project was to improve the tunnel to enable it to cope with larger containers, with a view to removing up to 50,000 lorries a year from the region's roads, providing a more practical and greener solution to transportation of goods in general, as well as boosting the competitiveness and capability of the city’s port.

The upgrade of Southampton railway tunnel, which was supported by local businesses, can now cope with 9’ 6” “high cube” containers, which can be transported efficiently by rail from Associated British Port's (ABP) Port of Southampton across the country making a valuable contribution to the local economy and helping Britain complete better in the global marketplace. 

Around 50 men worked around the clock through a Christmas blockade to bring the tunnel back to working order. This included stripping out and removing old railway track and undertaking a comprehensive renewal of all the track and railway sleepers.