15.06.15
Network Rail Consulting to deliver first phase of California high speed railway
A consortium including Network Rail Consulting has been awarded a £453m contract for the first phase of California’s high-speed rail project.
The consortium is led by Parsons Brinckerhoff and includes Network Rail's international consulting arm along with management consultants LeighFisher.
As part of the deal, the consortium will provide programme delivery and management services on the first phase of California's $68bn high-speed railway project.
The project aims to see a high-speed rail line run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds in excess of 200mph by 2029.
Network Rail Consulting is believed to have been selected for the Californian venture on the basis of its experience with HS1.
The contract, which runs until 2022, will help move forward with construction and focus towards planning and implementation of operations.
Companies were evaluated on their ability to address engineering and construction abilities, including seismic tunnelling, high-speed systems, operations, testing, commissioning and support of alternative delivery models, including public-private partnerships.
Network Rail Consulting was established in 2012 as part of plans to transform its in-house expertise into a commercially viable business.
In February it was part of another consortium that won a contract with the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) to provide management and technical support for infrastructure, freight and passenger operations on one of its largest rail projects, the North South Railway (NSR).
(Picture by: Jonathan Brady)
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