Greater Manchester-based safety seal manufacturer Roxtec UK is undertaking an comprehensive six-figure contract to help upgrade the London Underground.

The £5 billion Four Lines Modernisation project (4LM), which was launched in 2016, aims to update the Tube network's Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines with hi-tech signalling equipment capable of boosting the frequency of trains and cutting down on delays.

The project has seen 51 new signalling rooms created, as well as equipment to house signalling cabinets along the 161km of track, with Roxtec UK's products sealing cables going into and out of these buildings and cabinets.

The seals serve as a fire barrier, with 60min of insulation and integrity guaranteed, as well as water ingress protection in the event of a flood and rodent protection.

The Roxtec seals further protect against other complex hazards including the effects of lightning strikes, gas, dust, humidity, electro-magnetic disturbances and the risk of explosion.

David Chalmers, Roxtec UK & Ireland divisional manager, infrastructure and industry, said: “Roxtec cable and pipe sealing systems were chosen due to their exceptional life expectancy and ease of use.

“Each station’s signal equipment room or removable electrical building is individually designed and 12 variants of Roxtec’s rectangular and round frames were chosen to cover all station requirements.”

The 4LM project will enable the introduction of 192 longer S-stock trains which will run closer together. With 32 trains an hour, it is estimated that this will result in a 33% increase in peak-hour capacity by 2023.

Roxtec UK is the British subsidiary of Swedish-headquartered Roxtec Group and has a long history of supporting rail infrastructure projects around the globe.

Other recent key projects include heavy-duty cable seal solutions for Network Rail’s London Bridge Station, while the firm is involved in pioneering schemes such as Crossrail’s new Elizabeth Line for London and the South East, and the supply of cable and pipe seals for use within tunnels, sub-stations, flood defences and signalling infrastructure as part of the UK’s HS2 project.

Roxtec UK has a turnover of more than £6 million and a team of 20 based at its Waterfold Business Park head office in Bury.