Crossrail announces programme partner

Transcend, the AECOM, CH2M Hill and Nichols Group joint venture, has been appointed programme partner for the UK's Crossrail project.

The appointment, worth about UK£ 100 million (€ 107 million), follows a competitive tender process and means main construction work remains on schedule to begin in 2010.

European procurement requirements mean there now follows a minimum ten day stand-still period before the award of the contract can be confirmed.

The programme partner role is one of strategic programme management. Transcend will help Crossrail to deliver the overall programme on time, to the desired standard and within budget, a Crossrail spokesman said.

Crossrail will be Europe's largest construction project and once complete in 2017, will be the biggest addition to the transport network in London and the South East for 50 years.

Ahead of main construction work, preparations are already underway at London's Tottenham Court Road station and redevelopment of the Tube station is currently scheduled to begin in late 2009. Construction of the capital's new Isle of Dogs Crossrail station will also begin later this year.

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.

The appointment of project delivery partner, responsible for overseeing the core central tunnelled section of the route, will be announced by Crossrail in due course.