Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty Saves 30+ Minutes Daily on Core Valley Lines

£378mn Transport for Wales programme achieves 64% pre-filled shift records and electrifies 172km of track with Gather.

Minutes Saved Per Record

6,935

Records Created

£378mn

Works Managed

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><div class="ge-intro-accent ge-anim ge-d1"><p><strong>30+ minutes saved per record. 6,935 records created. £378 million of works managed with complete clarity.</strong> That’s the transformation on the Core Valley Lines programme — one of the most significant rail investments in Wales.</p></div><p class="ge-anim ge-d2">Funded by Transport for Wales, the CVL programme electrifies 172 kilometres of track, transforms stations, and modernises the South Wales valleys railway. Balfour Beatty leads delivery alongside multiple specialist contractors. Before Gather, Excel spreadsheets and Word documents provided no useful management information. After Gather, every shift record is structured, searchable, and available in real time.</p></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><h2 class="ge-anim">The challenge: paper systems at programme scale</h2><p class="ge-anim">Before Gather, the CVL team relied on paper-based systems that had served rail construction for decades. Peter Johnson, Senior Technical Manager, described the starting point:</p><ul class="ge-anim"><li><strong>Inconsistent formats:</strong> Different supervisors used different templates. Comparing productivity across sites was impossible</li><li><strong>Data entry burden:</strong> Site supervisors spent 30+ minutes at the end of each shift transcribing handwritten notes into Word documents or spreadsheets</li><li><strong>Information lag:</strong> By the time records reached the office, they were already outdated. Decisions were made on yesterday’s data</li><li><strong>No analytical capability:</strong> Data existed in formats that couldn’t be aggregated or analysed. Trends were invisible, patterns went unnoticed</li></ul><div class="ge-diagram-wrap ge-anim"><div class="ge-diagram-label">172 km of track: from spreadsheets and paper to real-time structured data</div><svg class="ge-diagram-svg" viewBox="0 0 660 190" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="min-width:400px;"><rect x="0" y="0" width="285" height="190" fill="#fff9f9"/><text x="14" y="18" font-size="8.5" font-weight="700" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui" letter-spacing="0.08em">BEFORE GATHER</text><line x1="30" y1="95" x2="270" y2="95" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="3" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="50" cy="95" r="4" fill="#fecaca"/><text x="50" y="82" text-anchor="middle" font-size="6.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Cardiff</text><circle cx="100" cy="95" r="3" fill="#fecaca"/><circle cx="140" cy="95" r="3" fill="#fecaca"/><circle cx="180" cy="95" r="3" fill="#fecaca"/><circle cx="210" cy="95" r="3" fill="#fecaca"/><circle cx="250" cy="95" r="4" fill="#fecaca"/><text x="250" y="82" text-anchor="middle" font-size="6.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Treherbert</text><line x1="140" y1="95" x2="140" y2="60" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="2"/><line x1="140" y1="60" x2="270" y2="60" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="270" cy="60" r="4" fill="#fecaca"/><text x="270" y="50" text-anchor="middle" font-size="6.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Aberdare</text><text x="142" y="115" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">172 km</text><text x="142" y="128" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui">of track to electrify</text><rect x="25" y="140" width="70" height="20" rx="3" fill="#fff7ed" stroke="#fdba74" stroke-width="0.8"/><text x="60" y="153" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#c2410c" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Excel sheets</text><rect x="108" y="140" width="70" height="20" rx="3" fill="#eff6ff" stroke="#93c5fd" stroke-width="0.8"/><text x="143" y="153" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#1d4ed8" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Word docs</text><rect x="190" y="140" width="70" height="20" rx="3" fill="#fdf4ff" stroke="#d8b4fe" stroke-width="0.8"/><text x="225" y="153" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#7e22ce" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Paper notes</text><text x="142" y="180" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">No useful management information</text><line x1="297" y1="16" x2="297" y2="174" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="1" stroke-dasharray="4,3"/><line x1="310" y1="95" x2="340" y2="95" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2.5"/><polygon points="340,90 352,95 340,100" fill="#22c55e"/><rect x="360" y="0" width="300" height="190" fill="#f0fdf4"/><text x="374" y="18" font-size="8.5" font-weight="700" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui" letter-spacing="0.08em">WITH GATHER</text><line x1="390" y1="95" x2="630" y2="95" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="3" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="410" cy="95" r="4" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="450" cy="95" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="490" cy="95" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="530" cy="95" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="570" cy="95" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="610" cy="95" r="4" fill="#22c55e"/><line x1="490" y1="95" x2="490" y2="60" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2"/><line x1="490" y1="60" x2="630" y2="60" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="630" cy="60" r="4" fill="#22c55e"/><text x="510" y="115" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="700">6,935 records</text><text x="510" y="128" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui">structured + searchable</text><rect x="395" y="140" width="230" height="22" rx="4" fill="#dcfce7" stroke="#bbf7d0" stroke-width="1"/><text x="510" y="154" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8.5" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Real-time visibility across every worksite</text><text x="510" y="178" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8.5" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">£378m programme, complete clarity</text></svg></div></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><h2 class="ge-anim">The solution</h2><p class="ge-anim">Balfour Beatty’s implementation prioritised user experience. The Gather team configured the platform around existing CVL workflows, using familiar terminology for activities, resources, and locations. The learning curve was minimal.</p><h3 class="ge-anim">64% pre-populated before every shift</h3><p class="ge-anim">Before each shift, planned activities and expected resources were loaded into the system. Supervisors started with forms already 64% complete. The process that used to take 30 minutes now took 2–3 minutes.</p><div class="ge-gauge-row ge-anim"><svg class="ge-gauge-svg" width="88" height="88" viewBox="0 0 88 88" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><circle cx="44" cy="44" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#bbf7d0" stroke-width="9"/><circle cx="44" cy="44" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="9" stroke-dasharray="136.7 213.6" stroke-dashoffset="0" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 44 44)"/><text x="44" y="40" text-anchor="middle" font-size="16" font-weight="800" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui">64%</text><text x="44" y="54" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui">pre-filled</text></svg><div class="ge-gauge-label"><h4>Pre-filled before each shift starts</h4><p>Planned activities, expected resources, and shift details were loaded automatically. Supervisors confirmed actuals, noted variations, and submitted — saving 30+ minutes per record.</p></div></div><div class="ge-quote ge-anim"><span class="ge-quote-mark">“</span><p class="ge-quote-text">It takes two to three minutes to complete a record at the end of each shift. Our team was also able to enter the data as they completed tasks during the shift. This has saved us an incredible amount of time.</p><div class="ge-quote-attr"><span><strong>Paul Shipton</strong> · Programme Manager · Balfour Beatty</span></div></div><h3 class="ge-anim">From data collection to programme decisions</h3><div class="ge-timeline-outer ge-anim"><svg class="ge-timeline-svg" viewBox="0 0 580 148" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="padding:20px 16px 8px;"><line x1="84" y1="44" x2="496" y2="44" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round"/><line x1="84" y1="44" x2="290" y2="44" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="84" cy="44" r="26" fill="#22c55e" stroke="none"/><text x="84" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">01</text><text x="84" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">SHIFT</text><line x1="84" y1="74" x2="84" y2="78" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="84" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#171717" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Shift Record</text><text x="84" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">64% pre-populated,</text><text x="84" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">2-3 min to complete</text><circle cx="290" cy="44" r="26" fill="#22c55e" stroke="none"/><text x="290" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">02</text><text x="290" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">WEEKLY</text><line x1="290" y1="74" x2="290" y2="78" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="290" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#171717" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Possession Review</text><text x="290" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Automated reports,</text><text x="290" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">progress vs plan</text><circle cx="496" cy="44" r="26" fill="#fff" stroke="#d4d4d4" stroke-width="2"/><text x="496" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#a3a3a3" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">03</text><text x="496" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#d4d4d4" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">MONTHLY</text><line x1="496" y1="74" x2="496" y2="78" stroke="#d4d4d4" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="496" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#404040" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Programme Review</text><text x="496" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Stakeholder reporting</text><text x="496" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">to Transport for Wales</text></svg></div></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body"><h2 class="ge-anim">The results: data that drives decisions at programme scale</h2><p class="ge-anim">The impact on productivity was immediate and dramatic. Site records that previously took days to compile appeared in real time. Project managers could see exactly what was happening across all CVL worksites.</p><div class="ge-callout ge-anim"><div class="ge-callout-big">6,935</div><div class="ge-callout-title">Records created across the programme</div><p class="ge-callout-body">Every record is structured, searchable, and linked to specific activities, resources, and outcomes. When commercial queries arise on a programme this size, the answers are seconds away.</p></div><h3 class="ge-anim">Record volumes: consistent growth programme-wide</h3><div class="ge-chart-outer ge-anim"><div class="ge-chart-label">Cumulative records captured across the Core Valley Lines programme lifecycle</div><svg class="ge-chart-svg" viewBox="0 0 560 162" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><text x="9" y="82" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#a3a3a3" font-family="Inter,system-ui" transform="rotate(-90 9 82)">Records</text><line x1="36" y1="18" x2="540" y2="18" stroke="#f0f0f0" stroke-width="1"/><line x1="36" y1="46" x2="540" y2="46" stroke="#f0f0f0" stroke-width="1"/><line x1="36" y1="74" x2="540" y2="74" stroke="#f0f0f0" stroke-width="1"/><line x1="36" y1="102" x2="540" y2="102" stroke="#f0f0f0" stroke-width="1"/><line x1="36" y1="122" x2="540" y2="122" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="1.5"/><path d="M56,118 L130,112 L204,100 L278,84 L352,62 L426,38 L500,22" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2.5" fill="none" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/><path d="M56,118 L130,112 L204,100 L278,84 L352,62 L426,38 L500,22 L500,122 L56,122 Z" fill="#22c55e" opacity="0.1"/><circle cx="56" cy="118" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="130" cy="112" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="204" cy="100" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="278" cy="84" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="352" cy="62" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="426" cy="38" r="3" fill="#22c55e"/><circle cx="500" cy="22" r="4" fill="#22c55e"/><text x="500" y="16" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">6,935</text><rect x="340" y="36" width="130" height="18" rx="4" fill="#dcfce7" stroke="#bbf7d0" stroke-width="1"/><text x="405" y="48" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">30+ min saved per record</text><text x="56" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Launch</text><text x="278" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Mid-programme</text><text x="500" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#22c55e" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Current</text></svg></div><p class="ge-anim">The time savings cascaded through the organisation. Supervisors spent less time on admin and more supervising. Office staff spent less time chasing information and more analysing it. Managers spent less time reconciling data and more making decisions.</p><div class="ge-takeaways ge-anim"><div class="ge-takeaways-head">Key takeaways</div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>30+ minutes saved</strong> per shift record compared to paper methods</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>6,935 records created</strong> in a consistent, searchable format across the entire programme</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>£378 million of works managed</strong> with complete clarity over progress and productivity</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>64% pre-population</strong> — reduced supervisor burden and drove adoption across all teams</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>Real-time visibility</strong> for Transport for Wales and all programme stakeholders</div></div></div><div class="ge-closing ge-anim"><p>For contractors managing large-scale rail programmes, CVL demonstrates that paper systems don’t scale. What works on a £5 million project breaks down on a £378 million programme. The sooner teams transition to structured digital records, the sooner data becomes a compounding asset.</p></div></div></div>

<section class="ge-cta-banner"><div class="ge-cta-inner"><p class="ge-cta-label">Get results like these</p><h2 class="ge-cta-title">Could Gather do this on your programme?</h2><p class="ge-cta-text">Balfour Beatty turned 6,935 structured records into complete commercial assurance across a £378 million programme. See how Gather could do the same on your rail or infrastructure project.</p><p class="ge-cta-stat"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M22 11.08V12a10 10 0 1 1-5.93-9.14"></path><polyline points="22 4 12 14.01 9 11.01"></polyline></svg> 30+ minutes saved per record across the Core Valley Lines programme </p><div><a href="/en/book-a-demo" class="ge-btn-demo"> Book a demo <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><line x1="5" y1="12" x2="19" y2="12"></line><polyline points="12 5 19 12 12 19"></polyline></svg></a></div></div></section>

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Project Profile

Client

Balfour Beatty

Industry

Rail

Value

£378 million programme

Rollout

Enterprise

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