Detailed design award for Atkins on extension of Denmark’s Northwest Railway

Atkins, in partnership with Cowi, has been appointed by Rail Net Denmark as detailed designer on a £160 million scheme to double-track Denmark’s Northwest Railway. The award includes the renovation of four train stations and will bring far greater capacity by increasing line speeds from 120kph to 160kph. Service frequencies will also increase, with a train every 20 minutes in each direction.

Detailed design work has just started and is due to be completed around the summer of 2012. As this is a major undertaking for Rail Net Denmark the Construction Act governing the work orders a full shutdown of existing line services for three months each summer over the next three years. This will create significant cost savings and take away the risk of unplanned timetable issues.

Atkins’ market director, Eva Rindom, said: “This is a project of huge economic significance for Denmark and will be a boost to passengers and businesses along the length of this important railway. While a combined nine months of complete service shutdown over the three year programme will allow us greater freedom to speed up the design and delivery, we will still need to factor in a construction schedule that will compete with timetable requirements most of the time. Atkins’ long history in the delivery of complex, multidisciplinary rail projects in Europe, the Middle East and North America means we are well-placed to meet this challenge.”

“Travellers will of course be challenged by the closure of the line during summer. But on the other hand this allows for consecutive periods for the construction work, to the benefit of project economy”, says Cowi’s market director, Preben Juul Mikkelsen.

In addition to the line double-track upgrade there will be a rail replacement programme on existing assets in order to remove the need for line speed restrictions which are currently in place due to the poor condition of some areas of track.

All stations between Roskilde and Holbæk will also have platforms lengthened to 250 metres, and crossings at these stations will be replaced by subways or footbridges as level crossings will not be allowed on the new high-speed lines.

Interlocking systems on the line will be upgraded to improve safety and four level crossings will be closed down and replaced by renovated road constructions and flyovers/subways.

Line works are due to be complete in 2014, allowing for considerably improved rail traffic operations and shorter travel times.