Atkins awarded contracts on Norway’s High Speed Rail Study

Atkins has been selected to carry out two studies on a proposed new high speed rail system in Norway – the biggest transport study of its kind in the country. This will involve a combination of market, financial and economic analysis which will be carried out by our transport planning business, with work beginning immediately.

The task of the High Speed Study is to recommend strategies for future passenger train transport in South Norway. The study is organised as an independent project organisation, but is under the control of the Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket). The project, which is due for completion in February 2012, will be a vital part of the National Transport Plan 2014 – 2023.

Warwick Lowe, Atkins’ transport development director said: “High speed rail is spreading across increasingly diverse landscapes and economies and is no longer a ‘one size fits all’ product. This makes it all the more vital that, before any formal commitments are made in Norway, the benefits and the costs of constructing a high speed railway in Norway are fully examined. Atkins is currently involved with similar studies in the UK and Sweden.

“Our rail expertise has been built on decades of world-wide experience in the rail sector, having recently helped to deliver the Gautrain high speed line in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, the Kuwait transport masterplan and the Dubai Metro, and we are currently working on the roll-out of the state of the art ERTMS re-signalling programme across the entire Danish network.”

As one of five companies appointed to undertake a range of studies on the feasibility of high speed rail in Norway, Atkins’ international expertise and experience was key to us being chosen for this project. The Director General of Jernbaneverket, Elisabeth Enger, is very pleased with the selection: “It is important that the studies are varied and that all sides are considered. The composition of the group of companies that has won these contracts is a guarantee of both comprehensiveness and quality,” she said.

The High Speed Study has been divided into three phases; Phase 1, which assessed the value of previous studies, Phase 2 which created a new baseline for future work and Phase 3 which will involve the detailed study of the following routes:

• Oslo – Bergen
• Oslo – Kristiansand – Stavanger
• Oslo – Trondheim
• Oslo – Gothenburg
• Oslo – Stockholm
• Bergen – Haugesund – Stavanger in combination with Oslo – Bergen and Oslo – Kristiansand – Stavanger.