Jacobs Engineering Group has announced that it has secured a contract from Network Rail to continue supporting improved rail links to Heathrow Airport from the Great Western main line.
The work is an important part of the scheme to improve access to the busiest airport in the UK and give the west of England a global gateway.
The rail link proposals will enable passengers throughout the west of the country and beyond to travel from Slough and Reading directly to Heathrow Airport without needing to change at London Paddington.
The hope of the project is to make roads less congested, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of 30 million passenger road miles each year and give the regionâs businesses an economic boost.
The main contribution to the project from Jacobs will take place from its UK offices over the next two years, although the financial contract terms of the project will stay undisclosed.
The contract states that Jacobs is supporting Network Railâs development consent order (DCO) submission, with the project work starting by focusing on defining a preferred option to take through consultation.
After agreeing upon a recommendation, Jacobs is tasked with leading the multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental design component.
Included in this is the completion of the environmental impact assessment to produce the environmental statement for the scheme.
Bob Duff, Senior Vice President of Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure, said: We started supporting Network Rail on its feasibility plans for this essential rail link in October 2011.
Being able to continue our collaboration in an effort to help Network Rail realize the extensive social, economic and environmental goals of this important project is exciting.
We are leveraging our experience with the DCO process to support the delivery of sustainable design and compelling application.
Jacobs has worked with Network Rail for over four decades and supported projects in asset management, operations and infrastructure.
