CONSTRUCTION and rail maintenance firm Balfour Beatty raised its dividend to shareholders by 11 per cent after half-year profits improved six per cent to £51m.
Balfour, which has pledged to defend itself against manslaughter charges in connection with the Hatfield train crash in 2000, said it had benefited from strong markets during the six-month period to June 28.
It said turnover increased to £1.75bn from £1.68bn the year before while the company's order book rose by a third to £6.4bn.
Building and transport infrastructure projects in the UK - boosted by increased public sector spending - have helped to drive the growth.
Balfour said it had benefited from £1.5bn of contracting work secured through public private partnerships, including as part of a consortium involved in the modernisation of the London Underground.
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