Testimonials
[Photo of school children welcoming the launch of the Northumberland Line at Ashington Station with permission of their Head Teacher]
2024
"Cadenza provided crucial leadership and specialist support to a review team comprising a blend of 4 organizations. The review, for the head of the client organization, required a sensitive and agile approach which Cadenza provided well. [Cadenza had an] agile approach which took control and provided structure in the beginning and then allowed others to develop into the roles within the structure." "Cadenza provided industry experts who were willing to be flexible to meet the evolving needs of the project. Happy to support client meetings at short notice." "Incredible knowledge and experience in Rail Design including operation management" "[Cadenza was] focused on resolving the issues and took a holistic approach to [their] advice, enabling problem solving for the project team. As well as providing technical expertise, [they] clearly communicated the key messages to enable clarity in presentation and promotion of the project We enjoyed working with Cadenza. [They] proactively advised on a complex project, providing thorough technical advice while considering the wider project aims, and was able to refine and clearly communicate the key issues to the wider project team and stakeholders."
2023
"... Cadenza provided invaluable advice working seamlessly with a large team and staying awake at night trying to find solutions to our problems which we hugely appreciate." "Richard Talbot Consultancy was supporting a client who was having difficulty in obtaining the necessary approvals from Network Rail to undertake a relatively straightforward development in proximity to the railway. Cadenza provided scrutiny of the Basic Asset Protection Agreement (BAPA) documentation and excellent technical input that helped to facilitate the ultimately successful agreement of the BAPA." "The review and 'polishing' of the interim and final reports was excellent and the contribution to discussions within the team and with ORR A pleasure working with Cadenza and the professional and open approach. The difficult subject matter required an innovative approach and [Cadenza] provided insightful input to the successful delivery of the project." "Provided timely communication and offered flexibility when responding to challenges (e.g. number of options being assessed etc). Project deliverables provided inline with the agreed programme." "I think the language and presentation was pitched well and easy to understand. The two page summary has proved particularly valuable. A study completed to time and budget, which answered the question and summarised the conclusions in a concise and understandable way"
2022
"[Cadenza's] work on this project has been nothing but exceptional, the depth of information for each scheme option clearly demonstrates a vast wealth of knowledge and experience which [Cadenza] has. [Cadenza's] explanation of each option was clear and there was clear rationale. Work was always presented and explained in a clear manner. The presentation of the rail options and description of the pros and cons helped me understand the scheme and what the proposals would mean for the settlement areas. The knowledge and experience shown by Cadenza has proved invaluable to our project, it has given strength to our scheme and have brought forward ideas and mitigation which we had not considered." "[Cadenza] have proved to be reliable partners, delivering work in a timely fashion and to high standards." "[Cadenza] has undertaken a professional technical assessment for a full list of engineering solutions for the Belmont rail scheme. The recommended option provides around 66% costs saving than the initial proposal, which hugely improved the Value for Money for this business case." "The proposal document provided by Cadenza set out very well the approach and content of the project deliverables. They were then delivered on time to a quality that exceeded expectations. [Cadenza were] responsive and proactive - identifying potentials issues at the start (such as the need for an ASPRO agreement to get information from NR) and providing a full list of what information was needed along with the potential risks of not having the information. Cadenza's support on this project has added significant value to both AECOM and our end client London Borough of Sutton on their LUF bid. Through a collaborative approach, Cadenza identified a variety of rail design options that were tested and evaluated with a wide range of stakeholders. The output resulted in a cost saving based on the selected proposal that saved two-thirds (£24m) on the previous scheme. This was an outstanding outcome for the client." "Pushing the stakeholders especially NR and freight team to focus on needs - did that fantastically well. I'd recommend Cadenza for transport projects. They were able to project manage very efficiently, provide Critical Friend support and look from Value Engineering from day one. Also able to integrate very well into an existing team and understand the different roles and responsibilities." "Excellent communication and relationship with the ORR that allowed an honest exchange of views during the interview stage and client meetings. Cadenza supported Rail Advisory Group on the development of an internal framework for managing authorisation project for the ORR. Cadenza were professional and insightful in their approach and we jointly provided and excellent framework and identified key learning opportunities for the client." "Cadenza have been very professional and responsive and in times of unprecedented disruption to the "normal" ways of working adapted immediately, embracing the "new way of working" including setting up and hosting a fully interactive workshop complete with breakout "virtual rooms" and real-time data collection and feedback. [Cadenza's] experience, and knowledge was also recognised and greatly appreciated when he performed the role of Expert Witness during the TWAO public enquiry. Cadenza ... is a very knowledgeable and professional engineer with far reaching understanding of the positive impacts that new or enhanced railway infrastructure can have on the surrounding communities. It has been a real pleasure working with [Cadenza] and I look forward to working with [them] again." "It's a real pleasure to work with the team at Cadenza. They are extremely professional in all that they do, whilst being driven to succeed and meet the clients aspirations. They are not afraid to highlight potential difficulties or risks that the client needs to be aware of where these might impact the cost and programme of their project." "[Cadenza's] input has always been very valuable and influential on the projects success. [Cadenza was] very responsive and supportive through the summer of 2019 in relation to the move towards virtual working abs Project SPEED Very knowledgeable in relation to rail system approach in early stages of development. Excellent focus on cost savings vs the right outcome for our client (NCC). Passionate and enthused leadership on social value aspects of the scheme. The Cadenza team have added huge value to the Northumberland project from leading on early engineering development, running innovative workshops, providing expertise in Project SPEED sessions, expert witness at public inquiry through to leading on social value. Knowledgeable, professional, friendly and great to work with." "Generally very happy with the level of professionalism across the team A pleasure to work with such a professional, knowledgeable, helpful and patient (as I am a novice to a rail project) team. A supportive, incredibly knowledgeable, professional team who can will go out of their way to help you to take a project forward." "[Cadenza] was very engaged in the project. [They] provided sound advice and guidance and was always very punctual with his response to queries or to provide output or reviews. Engagement and communication was very strong Quality of review and technical expertise provided was strong Cadenza provided excellent senior technical expertise, review and guidance to our combined planning, environmental and engineering teams engaged on the feasibility and concept design of the Cork Area Commuter Rail programme. Their technical expertise and sound judgement helped to guide our approach, improve the quality of our deliverables and help us secure successful project outcomes with our ultimate client, Iarnród Éireann. Julian Sindall in particular made a major positive contribution to our work." "[Cadenza has] the ability to identify a problem and take a proactive and innovative approach to solving it. Various examples including Newsham LX and Hospital LX. Cadenza were central to the successful delivery of the project by being knowledgeable, approachable and innovative. Every project needs [Cadenza]"
2021
"Cadenza played an integral and important role in ensuring the client presented a rigorous evidential basis for their claim in the Upper Tribunal involving multiple disciplines and the service from [Cadenza] was highly professional, analytical and [they] thought well in advance of the stage of litigation anticipating future work to be undertaken for the next stages. We would strongly recommend Cadenza for future expert report." "The 'core' advice was good and worked well but what was really important was thinking outside the immediate issues on levers opposite NRIL and how the negotiations with them could be moved forwards towards an agreement. One of Cadenza's ideas on the latter was an important part of getting from a seeming stalemate to agreement. Julian was always clear about the extent to which Cadenza could advise and where the client may require advice from others. Cadenza's advice was grounded in excellent sector knowledge and ultimately helped the client to achieve a satisfactory agreement in a potential dispute situation."
2020
"[Cadenza] came up with innovative ideas remarkably quickly; [Cadenza] knows [their] business inside out; and are able to communicate [their] ideas with enthusiasm and clarity. I would wholeheartedly recommend Cadenza as consultants who deliver high quality work to time and to budget; providing excellent advice based on a deep knowledge of the industry and its major stakeholders." "It was a pleasure working in partnership with Julian who provided input within very tight timeframes and delivered more than our Client was expecting. Hopefully we will have more opportunities to work together. I think [Cadenza] collaborated very well with our team and listened well to what the client was looking for." "We asked for some analysis with short notice (Sorry!) and what came back was spot on, excellently presented, logical and thorough but just the right level of detail for what was required. We were impressed, as was our client. [Cadenza knew] what level of detail would be appropriate for our scope of work and [explained] a complex topic area in a logical, thorough and legible way."
2019
"[Cadenza] is always very responsive to the demands of the project and demonstrates a real passion for delivering a high quality package which is best for the project and the client. [Cadenza] has a real passion for the railways and the positive impact they can have on the surrounding population. [They] constantly look at ways of adding value for the client and also for the project and the community as a whole."
2018
"[Cadenza] developed and successfully delivered a key element our bid strategy simplifying a very complex challenge into a well structured solution. I won't hesitate to ask for [their] support with the next opportunity!" "Integrity in arguing [Cadenza's] positions with the other practitioners, active pursuit of reconciliation of the two views ... The propositions [Cadenza] made seemed to sensibly address the challenge we defined and brought us forward significantly. Hands-on examples were also highly appreciated. [Cadenza] understood an original problem we identified and applied [their] hands-on practical experience to address it. Out-of-the box thinking was a key ingredient and [they] had it." "[Cadenza] engaged very helpfully indeed with the lock down forum - good articulation of the argument and responded helpfully... Very professional approach and evidence-based approach"
2017
"[Cadenza] is knowledgeable and experienced in the required areas and delivered a high quality piece of work over and above the brief. Cadenza Transport Consulting provided technical support to a wider enhancement feasibility study, to a high standard, on time and to budget. At all times, [Cadenza] was proactive and collaborated well with the other team members to produce an excellent overall outcome." "I can't fault [Cadenza's] effort or commitment. [They were] always very clear on availability, and also sought to be as flexible as possible. I also felt that [Cadenza] slotted in extremely well with our team. We seemed to gel on approach, behaviours and general way of working, so we were working as one team. It was also a pleasure working with [Cadenza] ... [Cadenza] was there whenever we needed [them], and was prepared to be flexible in terms of working hours and location." "The very precise editing and executive summarising of the WS3 document was exactly what I needed ... [Cadenza] got right to the point. Excellent. [Cadenza] was a pleasure to work with, [their] lateral thinking helped to shape our work and [their] report writing was accurate and precise."
2016
"A thoroughly experienced company with extensive knowledge and with the ability to make complex work understandable. The thorough review of the project, clear indications if there was scope to challenge and prompt reports together with a presentation to relay the facts." "Professional job in small project construction feasibility/cost - considered the alternatives, made an appropriate selection and highlighted the areas of uncertainty" "Impressive speed of response, especially given the significant level of detail achieved. Cadenza has demonstrated a real depth of knowledge on relevant technologies, providing valuable advice and insight to support us in our commission. Cadenza has a natural can-do and willing attitude combined with a high degree of responsiveness and flexibility which made it very easy to work together. Being able to have honest and open discussions about commercial matters really helped the relationship between our two companies." "Cadenza ensures a good understanding of what is required and delivers." "[Cadenza's] support and work has been essential in this commission and the work was of a very high quality... Responsive, Capable and Technically solid I will use Cadenza to support on engagements in the future." "[Cadenza's] input to the peer review for the concept design of Crossrail 2 was precisely the right level to challenge the design team yet provide credible and practical input."
2015
"[Cadenza] provides a first class service, [they] stepped in at short notice and hit the ground running picking up a complicated piece of analysis in support of our periodic review work and added value at every stage of the process. I have no hesitation in recommending [Cadenza] to any organization. The work performed was of a high standard and delivered in good time to support internal meetings and deadlines." "UCL really values the work that [Cadenza] does with our students on the Integrated Design project. Our students benefit enormously from the [Cadenza's] knowledge and experience in rail design, and enjoy [their] sessions."