HOT TOPICS

HOT TOPICSCROSSRAIL

High speed rail link east-west across London, first envisaged 18 years agoTwo main obstacles 1) Extremely challenging construction, 2) Funding

16bn budget to come from three sources: Government, future fare payers & London businesses (via levy on their business rates, topped up by money for CLC and individual companies). In October CLC agreed to cover the 400m shortfall and Gordon Brown confirmed that funding was in place.Construction will take a decade, due to be operational 2017. The Crossrail Bill, which is still in Parliament, is expected to receive Royal Assent by 2008.Benefits include: relieving existing rail and underground services, regenerating areas of London, estimated benefit of Crossrail to the UK economy is 30 billionhttp://www.crossrail.co.uk/METRONET COLLAPSE

Metronet is a consortium of shareholders Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Bombardier, Thames Water and Seeboard and has a staff of about 5,000 people. In April 2003 they took over maintaining and improving two-thirds of the Tubes infrastructure. Metronet had promised to spend 17bn improving the ageing network during its 30-year PPP contract. Overall control of the Tube remains in public hands, through Transport for London (TfL), which is controlled by London's mayor. About 70m a month of taxpayers' money is paid to Metronet. The rest of the money comes from Metronet's shareholders and its banks. Payments can be increased or whittled down according to whether it meets performance targets.

In June 2007, the firm said it estimated there would be a 2bn overspend by 2010. It said some of the blame did lie with LU for forcing it to do work it was not originally contracted to do. LU said the overspend was due to Metronet's inefficiencies and so it should foot the bill.

Metronet applied for an extra 550m to pay for budget over-runs, but the PPP arbiter Chris Bolt was highly critical of the company and granted them only 121m. His draft decision in July triggered Metronet's slide into administration. The arbiter has final say on the matter.The Other Tube PPP company, Tube Lines, appear to be managing, which has not helped Metronets case. Tube Lines subcontracts work on tracks, trains and stations while Metronet keeps it all within the Consortium. Another factor which may have affected there contrasting fortunes is the condition of infrastructure at handover.TfL have made an offer for Metronet.http://www.metronetrail.com/CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL LINKThe Channel Tunnel Rail Link, now rebranded High Speed 1, connects Paris, Lille and Brussels to London's extended and refurbished St Pancras station from 14 November.

High Speed 1 is 109km (68 miles) long. It was built in two parts by London & Continental Railways, chosen by the UK government in 1996 to construct and run the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). 5.8bn project has been delivered on time and to budget, Rail Link Engineering (Arup, Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra) are the designers and project mangers. Section 1, from Folkestone to Fawkham Junction in Kent, was finished in 2003 allowing trains on the British side of the Channel to run as fast as those on the French side. 2 links Section 1 to St Pancras via a series of new tracks, bridges and tunnels constructed in one of the UK's most ambitious civil engineering projects to date.The new rail link to the Channel Tunnel was as much about regeneration as speeding up journey times, a proviso made by the government in return for grants and financial backing.NCEI Nov 2007

ICE Proceedings Nov 2007

LONDON 2012The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and their use post 2012.

The Chief Executive is David Higgins and John Armitt is Chairman. The ODA's work is underpinned by five priority themes: health and safety, sustainability, design and accessibility, equality and diversity, and legacy.

A delivery partner (CLM) has been appointed to work with the ODA to project manage the venues and infrastructure programme for the Games.

The ODA is planning Games-time and long-term use together to make sure the area will be regenerated, leaving housing, schools and health facilities for the local community after 2012 alongside world class sports facilities.

THE OLYMPIC PARK - The building of the Olympic Park is one of the largest construction and engineering projects in Europe. The project twice the size of Heathrow Terminal 5 and has to be delivered in half the time.

TRANSPORT Target is for 100 per cent of spectators to get to the Games by public transport, cycling or on foot. The intention is for transport plans for the Games will help transform the Lower Lea Valley into one of the best connected Railway lines, trains and stations are being upgraded to cope with the thousands of participants, volunteers, and spectators who will travel to the Games each day.

Nine lines, most of which are being upgraded, currently serve the Olympic Park area. A tenth the centerpiece of the Games-time rail service will be the High Speed 1 rail link from the Channel Tunnel. This will take people from St Pancras to the Olympic Park in seven minutes.

Bus services are being upgraded.

The waterways connecting the River Lea to the River Thames will be improved to enable them to be used during

A network of cycle lanes and walking routes will be developed, connecting the Park and other venues into the wider London networks.

SUSTAINABILITY Aim is for London 2012 to be the first sustainable Games, setting new standards for major events.Five key areas are bieng targeted throughout the Games process building the venues and infrastructure, staging the Games themselves and then long into the future:

combating climate change;

reducing waste;

enhancing biodiversity;

promoting inclusion; and

improving healthy living.

http://www.london2012.com/index.php