April 2009
Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra welcome the announcement made by Crossrail that they intend to select our team for the role of project delivery partner.
Speaking on behalf of the three companies, Cliff Mumm, senior vice president of Bechtel commented:
“We are extremely pleased to hear today’s announcement. This is one of the most important and exciting construction projects in the world. We believe that we offer a proven, tried and tested team, ready to deliver for London. We have a track record of managing large scale infrastructure projects on time and on budget, notably High Speed 1. We have complementary skills: Bechtel brings world class project management, Halcrow is a multi-disciplinary consultancy offering world-class rail and tunnelling experience and Systra is a world leader in railway systems, bringing technical expertise proven on the Paris RER network. The team has a wealth of experience of infrastructure projects in London. We are pleased that we will now have the opportunity to bring these skills to bear for the benefit of Crossrail and London.”
The project delivery partner will be responsible for managing the delivery of the central London tunnel from west London, through Paddington and branching off to the north and south of Whitechapel. This will involve the construction of a new 21 km twin-bore tunnel under the centre of London, six new stations and the complex job of integrating Crossrail with London’s existing transport systems. Crossrail’s central tunnel section alone will be the largest construction project in Europe.
David Watters, executive director of Halcrow’s rail sector, adds:
“Halcrow has made contributions to every major rail scheme in the city, and I am delighted that the company continues to be true to its mission to sustain and improve the quality of people's lives. As part of the Bechtel, Halcrow, Systra team, we’re ready to deliver for London. At a time of global uncertainty, our team’s appointment to Crossrail is god news for Halcrow and good news for our London-based rail team.”
Crossrail at a glance
Crossrail will run 118 km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes commuting distance of London’s key business districts.
When Crossrail opens in 2017 it will increase London’s public transport network capacity by 10 per cent, supporting regeneration across the capital, helping to secure London’s position as a world leading financial centre, and cutting journey times across the city.
Preparatory works will continue throughout 2009. Main Crossrail construction starts in 2010. Crossrail is scheduled to open for service in 2017. Crossrail is promoted by Crossrail Limited (CRL). CRL became a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London on 5 December 2008.