New contract awarded for Hong Kong MTR line
9 January 2013Hong Kong's MTR Corporation has awarded a USD 440M tunnelling contract on the new Shatin to Central Link (SCL) railway to Gammon Construction, which is 50 per cent owned by Balfour Beatty. The company will work alongside Kaden Construction on the project.
The contract includes the construction of two cut-and-cover tunnels covering with a total track length of 1km. It will connect the existing East Rail Line to the Hung Hom Station and the Hung Hom Station to the future Ho Man Tin Station. Work is expected to be completed in 2018.
"This is another significant contract award by the Hong Kong MTR Corporation," said Ian Tyler, chief executive, Balfour Beatty. "Not only is it a testament to the strength of the relationship with this valued customer, but also demonstrates the value that our partners put on the experience and expertise we have in delivering major transport projects around the world. One of our key strategic sectors is transportation and this activity in Hong Kong builds on our strengthening global experience in rail."
The 17km-long SCL project includes 10 stations, of which six will provide interchanges to existing lines. It will provide a much needed railway service to the East Kowloon district. Total ridership is predicted at 1.1 million passengers a day in 2021.
