Sainsbury’s DIRFT II Rail Construction Case Study

Client: Prologis / Sainsbury’s
Industry: Retail, Logistics & Rail Infrastructure
Services: Project Management & Engineering Support
Programme Environment: DIRFT II – Rail-Connected Distribution Development

Supporting the delivery of a major rail-connected distribution development for Sainsbury’s at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal.

Working within the wider VolkerFitzpatrick delivery team, JBA supported a complex design-and-build programme involving a large distribution centre, offices, intermodal rail infrastructure, highways, drainage, earthworks, and final fit-out integration. The project was delivered to support Sainsbury’s operational go-live in February 2015, while also achieving strong environmental performance standards.

Project Description - Delivering a Complex Distribution and Rail Infrastructure Programme

The Sainsbury’s DIRFT II development formed part of the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal near Rugby, Warwickshire.

The programme involved the design and construction of a 1 million sq. ft. distribution centre, approximately 75,000 sq. ft. of office space, 770 parking spaces, and a 9,600 m² intermodal rail facility.

The scope also included significant enabling and infrastructure works, including demolition and remediation, large-scale earthworks, highways, drainage, a new rail bridge, and the construction of approximately 500 metres of railway on a 9-metre embankment.

JBA supported the project within a complex delivery environment where building construction, civil engineering, rail infrastructure, and operational fit-out all needed to be coordinated against a fixed go-live date.

The Challenge - Coordinating Multiple Workstreams Against a Fixed Operational Deadline

The scale of the development created a significant coordination challenge.

The programme involved multiple major workstreams, including building construction, earthworks, rail infrastructure, highways, drainage, remediation, and the later integration of operational fit-out activities.

More than 1 million m³ of cut-and-fill activity was required, alongside approximately 350,000 m³ of soil modification, adding further complexity to the site-development programme.

At the same time, Sainsbury’s needed certainty that the facility would be ready for operational use in February 2015.

The challenge was therefore not simply to complete the construction works, but to manage the interfaces between civil, structural, rail, building, and fit-out activities so that the overall programme remained aligned to the client’s operational requirements.

JBA's Approach

Integrated Programme Management

JBA supported the coordination of multiple delivery streams within the overall construction programme. This helped ensure that design, construction, infrastructure, and operational requirements remained aligned as the project progressed.

Fit-Out Integration

A key element of the delivery strategy was integrating the fit-out contract into the wider construction programme. This allowed activities such as racking, sprinkler installation, and operational facilities to be coordinated with the main build rather than treated as a separate downstream phase. The result was greater certainty around the client’s required go-live date.

Delivery Control Across Complex Interfaces

The programme required close coordination across building works, rail infrastructure, earthworks, drainage, highways, and supporting services. JBA’s involvement helped maintain visibility of dependencies, risks, and programme priorities across these interfaces, supporting a more controlled route to completion.

Results & Impact - Delivering Operational Readiness on Schedule

The integrated programme approach gave Sainsbury’s confidence that the facility would be ready for its planned February 2015 go-live, while successfully coordinating major construction, rail, infrastructure, and fit-out activities within a single programme. The completed development included a 1 million sq. ft. distribution centre and a 9,600 m² intermodal rail facility, with a total project value of £110 million delivered over an 80-week programme. The development also achieved BREEAM “Excellent” and the best possible EPC rating, demonstrating strong environmental performance alongside successful programme delivery.