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February 2008

High Speed 1 wins ‘Project of the Decade’ award

High Speed 1 (HS1), has been awarded the title of ‘Project of the Decade’ at the London Transport Awards. Held at the Hilton on Park Lane on the 27th February 2008, the event celebrates the many transport achievements across the capital.

Rail Link Engineering (RLE), the consortium responsible for managing delivery of HS1, collected the special award on behalf of London & Continental Railways, the company behind HS1. RLE a consortium of Arup, Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra has been responsible for the design and project management of HS1. Working on behalf of London & Continental Railways, RLE represents the very best in engineering excellence.

High Speed 1 is the UK’s first new high-speed railway - a 109km route from the Channel Tunnel to the beautifully restored St Pancras International in central London.

Commenting on the award, David Begg, Chair of the Judging Panel said:

“There was one project which stood out from all the others in terms of scale and magnitude that the judges felt it deserved a special award: it really is the transport project of the decade if not of the last generation. At a time when Whitehall has questioned the value for money from transport projects: particularly rail - this project has restored faith in our ability to deliver and has enhanced the case for rail investment.”

Constructed at a cost of £5.8 billion, HS1 is the first mainline railway built in Britain since the Great Central steamed into Marylebone in 1899. The line became fully operational in November 2007 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened St Pancras International.

Rob Holden, Chief Executive of London & Continental Railways said,
“A key to the successful delivery of High Speed 1, on time and within budget, has been the teamwork and partnership led by LCR and its stations and property division (LCSP), Eurostar and, of course, Rail Link Engineering – an incredibly powerful blend. I congratulate everyone involved.”

RLE has demonstrated that with good partnering, the right skills and a committed workforce, the construction industry can deliver large, complex infrastructure projects. The project team has achieved this while at the same time setting new standards in safety, efficiency, environmental protection and community relations.

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