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le“With more than half of the population now living in cities and millions of vehicles jostling for space on the roads, efficient public transport systems are essential to economic survival”

Keeping tracK: infrastructure on the move

OFC Atkins_FrontCover_v3.indd 1 05/04/2013 12:18

ofnoteThe cities in which we live are evolving. Populations are growing, more people are migrating to urban centres and living standards are improving. Infrastructure and transport must live up to the shifting demands of this new and fast-moving landscape.

Rising incomes and changing demographics are altering the

shape of the modern landscape – and planners are tasked with

designing the city of tomorrow.

0410A metro system remains an expensive dream to be fulfilled for many, yet cities are making the investment. What is it about them that is so appealing?

24New railways and metros are vital elements of an effective transport

strategy, but transit-oriented development is really changing

the way cities stay on the move.

28Meet the Atkins team committed to delivering the highest possible quality services to its clients around the world, from Hong Kong to Dubai, London and Sydney.

18How do you create a significant addition to the transport infrastructure of a major metropolitan centre like London?

for more than 40 years, Atkins has

played a major role in delivering some

of Asia Pacific’s most complex

infrastructure projects. We are one of

the world’s leading design, engineering

and project management consultancies

and we have the breadth and depth

of talent to help our clients respond

to the challenges of tomorrow.

The future growth and identity of

a city is closely linked with meeting the

changing needs of its population. Holistic

planning and the clever design of core

infrastructure such as roads and rail,

water, wastewater and power supplies

pIFC-01 Atkins Contents_Welcome_v11ndd 2 05/04/2013 16:44

28Meet the Atkins team committed to delivering the highest possible quality services to its clients around the world, from Hong Kong to Dubai, London and Sydney.

18How do you create a significant addition to the transport infrastructure of a major metropolitan centre like London?

for more than 40 years, Atkins has

played a major role in delivering some

of Asia Pacific’s most complex

infrastructure projects. We are one of

the world’s leading design, engineering

and project management consultancies

and we have the breadth and depth

of talent to help our clients respond

to the challenges of tomorrow.

The future growth and identity of

a city is closely linked with meeting the

changing needs of its population. Holistic

planning and the clever design of core

infrastructure such as roads and rail,

water, wastewater and power supplies

are vital. We work hand in hand with

government agencies, contractors and

private sector developers and use carbon

critical design to shape and create cities

that are environmentally, socially and

economically prosperous.

Over the years, our infrastructure

design and civil, highway and bridge

engineering work in the Asia Pacific

region has expanded to include

architecture and urban masterplanning.

We have offices across Malaysia,

Hong Kong, China, Singapore, India

and Australia. Our understanding

of the Asia Pacific region is

complemented by our worldwide

expertise which we have gained on

projects such as the London 2012

Olympic and Paralympic Games,

the MTR Corporation’s West Island

Line in Hong Kong and Dubai Metro.

In this publication we showcase

some of the transport schemes and

major infrastructure projects that

Atkins is proud to have been involved

in and that will help shape our cities

for decades to come.

Chris Birdsong

Chief executive officer, Asia Pacific

Working from the ground up

welcomeCHRIS BIRDSOnGCHief exeCutive offiCeR, ASiA PACifiC

pIFC-01 Atkins Contents_Welcome_v11ndd 3 05/04/2013 16:44

In early 2013, Britain’s Prime Minister

claimed the country must, “get on board

the high speed revolution”. He was speaking

about HS2, a rail project that will link London

with cities in the northwest of the country.

It will include 330 miles of track and will be

built at an estimated cost of up to £34.5bn.

The justification for the expenditure,

according to the Prime Minister, is that it will

help secure economic prosperity across Britain

and ensure the country remains competitive

in the global marketplace. But this is not a

compelling argument for all concerned. There

is a perception that benefits are restricted to

the areas closest to the station hubs while the

disruption caused by construction will affect

everyone along the route. For this reason,

many protesters believe the benefits do not

outweigh the costs.

“High speed rail schemes can be a hotly

debated investment,” says Atkins’ business

development director, Dr Andy Southern.

“But in the UK, the demand for rail services

has risen faster than the standard rail

forecasts predicted, which means that

additional capacity requirements do need

to be considered.”

But why invest in new high speed lines

instead of upgrading conventional networks?

According to Southern, high speed rail should

be seen as a means of shaping economic

geographies rather than being considered

an isolated transport project. It should also

form part of a wider strategic plan so

investment can be judged against its

contribution to economic growth, social

cohesion and environmental improvement.

“Governments need to be clear

about the size and distribution of the

potential economic benefits,” he says.

“For example, does high speed rail offer

better value for money than investing in

local transit projects?”

The potential economic benefits include

a reduction in journey time, improved

productivity in the employment centres

served and the scope to use existing track

capacity to improve local commuter services.

The number of travellers who decide to take

the train rather than fly or drive to their

destination will have a significant impact

on the possible environmental benefits.

In continental Europe, high speed

lines have reduced journey times between

established major centres, for example,

London, Paris and Brussels, and at the same

time stimulated growth and economic

regeneration in these and intermediate

centres such as Lille in France and Ashford

in the UK. In Japan, high speed rail has

transformed outlying rural communities

into new urban centres while in China, it

forms the main arteries that are shaping

a rapidly growing economy.

Atkins is acting as lead advisor in

Scandinavia, where a high speed network

is providing the connectivity necessary to

create the “Scandinavian 8 million city”,

joining Copenhagen in Denmark,

Gothenburg and Malmo in Sweden and

Oslo in Norway to form a new region that

is at the centre of government measures to

drive global competitiveness. Similarly, the

proposals for a high speed line between

Kuala Lumpur and Singapore promise

to greatly enhance the links between the

two centres as well as increase economic

activity in the other towns and cities served.

“When plans for a high speed line

are being drawn up, it is also crucial to

consider the local infrastructure

requirements that will be necessary

to support high quality and large-scale

transit oriented development (TOD), Atkins’

Jason Hutchings, who is responsible for

architecture and urban design at Atkins in

Hong Kong, explains.

“Capturing the increase in land values

and the planning gain as contributions

to the capital and running costs of rail

and associated infrastructure reinforces

the need for an integrated and holistic

approach to planning,” he says. “High speed

rail, while not a primary driver for TOD in

terms of footfall, greatly increases the status,

and therefore the value of associated

property development, in terms of civic

prominence as well as commercial ROI”.

The scale of the investment and the

time it takes to plan, design and deliver

high speed schemes require political

resolve and some certainty over long-

term funding arrangements.

As Southern says: “It is vital that

any scheme offers value for money, is

financially affordable and deliverable in

planning and engineering terms. A carefully

researched evidence base that gives the

public and private sectors the confidence

to invest in a high speed scheme is

paramount to success.“

HigH Speed Rail: all aboaRd?

2

There has always been something special about rail travel – from the early steam-powered locomotives to today’s streamlined services that transport you to your chosen destination at hundreds of miles per hour. But is the romance of rail enough to convince investors and the public that new networks are necessary, especially in tough economic times?

p02-03_Atkins5_HighSpeedv1.indd 2 05/04/2013 12:18

“THE SCALE OF THE INvESTMENT AND THE TIME IT TAKES TO Plan, desIgn and delIver hIgh sPeed

scheMes REqUIRE PolItIcal resolve AND

SOME CERTAINTy OvER long-terM fundIng

arrangeMents”

fast forwardHIGH SPEED RAIL

p02-03_Atkins5_HighSpeedv1.indd 3 05/04/2013 12:18

4

By 2050, the largest city in the world will probably be in China – and it hasn’t been built yet. Demographics are altering the shape of the modern landscape from Shanghai to Mumbai. Masterplanners are defining that new environment. From central business districts to mega city regions, rising incomes worldwide are changing the game and planners are looking ahead to the city of tomorrow.

The city is undergoing a renaissance. People who once

aspired to live in the widening suburban sprawl on the edge

of metropolitan areas now want to be at the heart of city

life. In Europe and North America, widespread gentrification

and the regeneration of industrial districts such as canals

and dockyards is replacing some of the blight and decay

of the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in new cityscapes that

are a pleasure to live and work in.

Outside the West, exciting new city developments are

appearing everywhere from Baku and Nairobi to Abu Dhabi

and Seoul, either in the form of huge extensions to existing

cities or completely new cities built from scratch. Often

working with fewer constraints, city planners are

fundamentally re-imagining what the city is all about.

Driving this surge in planning is a wide range of factors –

including new national wealth, dramatic population shifts from

rural to urban areas, the need to respond to demographic

The new faCe of The old city

new cities have been added to

China’s landscape since 1978. China is leading the way when it comes to big developments

and mass migration from rural to urban areas. By 2040, the urban population is forecast to expand by 400 million, or about 15 million people per year.

500

changes and ambitious efforts to create sustainable places

with better access to technology, financial centres or culture.

Emerging economies are providing most of the biggest

developments, because their needs are often most urgent

and they are generally more willing to think big and do away

with the old. By contrast, in the West the tendency is to

preserve, renew and infill cities – partly because of a lack of

space, but also because public opinion tends to be less

prepared to embrace new construction.

In the developing world, there is a desire for growth

and modernity – though this comes at a price, according to

Dr George Martine, co-author of a 2010 study on urbanisation

published by the International Institute for Environment and

Development and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

“Massive urban growth in developing countries looms as

some of the most critical determinants of economic, social

and ecological wellbeing in the 21st century,” he says.

modern citiesPlANNING FOr UrBANISAtION

p04-07 MODERN CITY V8.indd 4 05/04/2013 14:08

The city is undergoing a renaissance. People who once

aspired to live in the widening suburban sprawl on the edge

of metropolitan areas now want to be at the heart of city

life. In Europe and North America, widespread gentrification

and the regeneration of industrial districts such as canals

and dockyards is replacing some of the blight and decay

of the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in new cityscapes that

are a pleasure to live and work in.

Outside the West, exciting new city developments are

appearing everywhere from Baku and Nairobi to Abu Dhabi

and Seoul, either in the form of huge extensions to existing

cities or completely new cities built from scratch. Often

working with fewer constraints, city planners are

fundamentally re-imagining what the city is all about.

Driving this surge in planning is a wide range of factors –

including new national wealth, dramatic population shifts from

rural to urban areas, the need to respond to demographic

East Asian tigersAs in so many things, China is leading the way when it comes

to big developments. Since 1978, it has added roughly 500

new cities to the landscape and it already has 160 cities of

more than a million people (by comparison, Europe has 35).

Over the next 20 years, the percentage of Chinese expected

to live in cities will grow from roughly 50 per cent today to

70 per cent. By 2040, the urban population is forecast to

expand by 400 million – about 15 million people per year.

“What’s happening in China is the rapid urbanisation

that we have already seen in Japan and the tiger economies

after the Second World War,” says Mark Harrison, senior

technical director for Atkins’ urban planning consultancy in

Beijing. “Similar processes occurred in Britain and Europe

associated with the Industrial revolution, and in America

in the last century. We’re seeing a rapid urbanisation and

a mass migration of people to urban areas.”

the tremendous growth in China and elsewhere in

East Asia is leading to a new phenomenon: mega city

regions, where cities coalesce to form uninterrupted urban

stretches. Examples include: the Hong Kong-Shenzhen-

Guangzhou region in China, which is home to 120 million

people, according to a recent UN report; the Nagoya-

Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe corridor in Japan (60 million people);

and the Malaysia-Singapore area.

“rapid development of these regions does pose many

challenges including competing economic activities,

co-ordination of large-scale infrastructure provision,

environmental protection, social inequalities and liveability,”

Harrison says.

Another big challenge in China is planning for a society

that is evolving so rapidly. “In addition to mass migration

and rising disposable income, China is changing from a

socialist to a market-socialist system and this has a

million people will be living in cities in India by 2030, up from 340 million in 2008. thirty per cent of the population already lives in urban centres. over 90 million households will qualify as middle class by then, up from 22 million today. Urbanisation in India is going to be paramount.

590

changes and ambitious efforts to create sustainable places

with better access to technology, financial centres or culture.

Emerging economies are providing most of the biggest

developments, because their needs are often most urgent

and they are generally more willing to think big and do away

with the old. By contrast, in the West the tendency is to

preserve, renew and infill cities – partly because of a lack of

space, but also because public opinion tends to be less

prepared to embrace new construction.

In the developing world, there is a desire for growth

and modernity – though this comes at a price, according to

Dr George Martine, co-author of a 2010 study on urbanisation

published by the International Institute for Environment and

Development and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

“Massive urban growth in developing countries looms as

some of the most critical determinants of economic, social

and ecological wellbeing in the 21st century,” he says.

p04-07 MODERN CITY V8.indd 5 05/04/2013 14:09

fundamental impact on urban development. Under the

previous economic model, there was no need to plan

for private commodity housing, the development of

an extensive services sector, retail as leisure, export-

processing zones and so on,” he says.

Changing timesIn another 20 years, India will have caught up with China

in terms of population. Whereas China’s one-child-per-

family rule is resulting in an ageing workforce, India’s

burgeoning population is projected to be growing at

around 0.6 per cent a year. thriving urban areas will be key,

as the country will have to handle the challenge of

accommodating a population growing at a faster rate than

China’s within a smaller land area. New McKinsey Global

Institute (MGI) projections show India’s urban population

soaring to 590 million in 2030.

the country will also become a nation of upwardly

mobile middle-class households. By 2025, the Indian middle

classes will have expanded dramatically to 583 million

people – some 41 per cent of the population. In fact, cities

are being built for the emerging middle classes in many

areas of the world. In Azerbaijan, for example, a 200-hectare

urban centre is being developed on the outskirts of Baku,

aiming to reclaim lands that were once polluted with oil pits,

rail yards and other industrial facilities.

Other new purpose-built cities include Mussafah on

the edge of Abu Dhabi. Mussafah is designed as a

designated industrial area and is one of several projects

designed to reduce the region’s dependency on oil and

build the necessary foundations and infrastructure to

support a sustainable society in the future. According to

Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council, some $200bn will

have been pumped into various infrastructure projects in

the Emirate by 2013.

Cities have always been built according to their

proximity to basic resources such as water, but it’s now

possible to build in all kinds of places, even in previously

inhospitable environments such as deserts. In a potential

precursor to a futuristic world altered by climate change,

it is perhaps comforting to know that purpose-built virtual

cities can be situated anywhere.

“Whereas in the past cities were located in places for

almost prehistoric reasons, that doesn’t need to be the

case any more,” explains Matt tribe, director at Atkins.

“In dealing with climate change, sea-level rises and other

natural processes, planners may now go through a process

of taking people away from risk areas, by understanding

the best place to locate them.”

Future-proofi ng citiesthe advantage of new cities is that sustainability can be built

into every aspect of the design.

“the new cities that are being developed in China, India

and the rest of Asia are going to be able to draw on the

latest thinking, where we design cities that are sustainable

at every level. this means thinking fundamentally about

“NeW CITIeS tHAt ArE BEING DEVElOPED IN CHINA, INDIA AND tHE rESt OF ASIA ArE GOING tO BE ABlE tO DrAW ON tHE laTeST ThINKING, WHErE WE DESIGN CItIES tHAt ArE SUSTaINaBle aT eVeRY leVel”

urban form, infrastructure and buildings to produce the

most sustainable solutions and to future-proof cities in

terms of climate change. this is much harder to put in place

once you’ve already built your city,” Harrison says. He

asserts that sustainability is an increasingly important part

of developments he is involved with in China – most

recently, a fi nancial district in Chengdu and a new business

district in Beijing.

Harrison believes China is likely to be a good learning

ground for masterplanners in the future: “I’m sure a lot

of the complex urban questions that we’re now facing

around the world will have some answers in China, simply

because of the numbers of people involved, the scale of

the development and the focus on fi nding new models

for urban development.”

tribe argues that “there will be more transit-oriented,

very dense developments, and there will also be clustering.

As well as megatropolises such as those being developed

by the Chinese, I think there will be compact densities that

are highly linked,” he says. “that means either physically

with super-fast trains or It with fast broadband.”

the move to denser urban environments is already

evident in Europe and North America, particularly where

sprawl is a concern. After the Second World War, the

tendency was to build outwards, creating new suburbs

and commuter towns. In recent years, however, that sort

of construction has become increasingly unacceptable,

according to Harrison.

“Politically, it’s quite diffi cult to plan any kind of new

growth in the UK at the moment,” he says. “this is due

in part to the recession, of course, but also because the

countryside and heritage are valued. So it’s all about infi lling

particular city sites, and a sustainability agenda of having

denser cities that use land more effectively.”

In addition, wonderful architectural assets are to be

found in the older hearts of cities, often in buildings that

had a previous use, according to Michael Hebbert, Professor

of town Planning in the School of Environment and

Development at the University of Manchester.

“Urban renaissance is partly building renaissance –

rediscovering old buildings,” he says.

As well as investing heavily in cities such as liverpool,

Bristol, leeds and Cardiff, the previous UK government

announced plans for up to ten eco-towns around England.

It was hoped that these settlements would address the

pressing need for affordable housing while being

sustainable and carbon neutral. Plans included smart meters

for residents to track their energy usage, plug-in points for

million people are expected

to live in abu dhabi by 2030.

the Emirate is making a strategic

leap towards a new environment that

will achieve sustainable urban

planning and economic growth.

5

p04-07 MODERN CITY V8.indd 6 05/04/2013 14:09

inhospitable environments such as deserts. In a potential

precursor to a futuristic world altered by climate change,

it is perhaps comforting to know that purpose-built virtual

cities can be situated anywhere.

“Whereas in the past cities were located in places for

almost prehistoric reasons, that doesn’t need to be the

case any more,” explains Matt tribe, director at Atkins.

“In dealing with climate change, sea-level rises and other

natural processes, planners may now go through a process

of taking people away from risk areas, by understanding

the best place to locate them.”

Future-proofi ng citiesthe advantage of new cities is that sustainability can be built

into every aspect of the design.

“the new cities that are being developed in China, India

and the rest of Asia are going to be able to draw on the

latest thinking, where we design cities that are sustainable

at every level. this means thinking fundamentally about

urban form, infrastructure and buildings to produce the

most sustainable solutions and to future-proof cities in

terms of climate change. this is much harder to put in place

once you’ve already built your city,” Harrison says. He

asserts that sustainability is an increasingly important part

of developments he is involved with in China – most

recently, a fi nancial district in Chengdu and a new business

district in Beijing.

Harrison believes China is likely to be a good learning

ground for masterplanners in the future: “I’m sure a lot

of the complex urban questions that we’re now facing

around the world will have some answers in China, simply

because of the numbers of people involved, the scale of

the development and the focus on fi nding new models

for urban development.”

tribe argues that “there will be more transit-oriented,

very dense developments, and there will also be clustering.

As well as megatropolises such as those being developed

by the Chinese, I think there will be compact densities that

are highly linked,” he says. “that means either physically

with super-fast trains or It with fast broadband.”

the move to denser urban environments is already

evident in Europe and North America, particularly where

sprawl is a concern. After the Second World War, the

tendency was to build outwards, creating new suburbs

and commuter towns. In recent years, however, that sort

of construction has become increasingly unacceptable,

according to Harrison.

“Politically, it’s quite diffi cult to plan any kind of new

growth in the UK at the moment,” he says. “this is due

in part to the recession, of course, but also because the

countryside and heritage are valued. So it’s all about infi lling

particular city sites, and a sustainability agenda of having

denser cities that use land more effectively.”

In addition, wonderful architectural assets are to be

found in the older hearts of cities, often in buildings that

had a previous use, according to Michael Hebbert, Professor

of town Planning in the School of Environment and

Development at the University of Manchester.

“Urban renaissance is partly building renaissance –

rediscovering old buildings,” he says.

As well as investing heavily in cities such as liverpool,

Bristol, leeds and Cardiff, the previous UK government

announced plans for up to ten eco-towns around England.

It was hoped that these settlements would address the

pressing need for affordable housing while being

sustainable and carbon neutral. Plans included smart meters

for residents to track their energy usage, plug-in points for

electric cars and large spaces for parks and playgrounds.

However critics doubted the eco-towns’ ability to attract

the necessary infrastructure, such as transport and schools,

and to meet the ambitious environmental standards. the

plans have since been downgraded considerably to four

eco-towns. these are now slated for 2016 and still need

to make it through the planning approval process.

“the UK has a fairly robust policy on sustainability, but

because we are building in much smaller volumes, it is more

diffi cult to affect some of the fundamentals of land-use

planning,” says Paul Fraser, a senior urban designer at

Atkins. By comparison, Fraser was part of the team working

on Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, which is of a suffi cient size to

support a full range of public services.

“Ideally, you have a hierarchy of public services. Within

a typical fi ve-minute walk, you would expect to fi nd a local

shop, post box and so on. A bus network would allow you

to get to a health clinic and a bigger set of shops. And then

regional facilities such as hospitals would be accessible with

at least one mode of transport.

“It is essential that you create an effective network that

allows you to access as many of these things as possible

without using your car,” Fraser explains.

“there is tremendous latent demand for urban buzz,”

says Hebbert. “You can see it in the take-up rates of

residential opportunities close to city centres. It is about a

rediscovery of everything that an urban, as opposed to a

suburban, lifestyle can offer.

“So the value of proximity is going to increase and, with

that, encouragement for a high-quality, high-density urban

residential offer. I believe that’s going to be the trend of the

coming century.”

5

The Guangzhou east Tower in China uses the cultural association with bamboo to defi ne its form. It consists of a fi ve-star hotel above serviced apartments and offi ces.

7

p04-07 MODERN CITY V8.indd 7 05/04/2013 14:09

the Dubai Metro is regarded as the

world’s largest transport infrastructure project

still under construction. It is the longest

automated driverless metro system in the

world and the fi rst of its kind in the Middle

East. It comprises 75km of rail, running above

and below ground through 47 stations.

The fi rst two lines on the network

opened completely in 2011 and the timing

was poignant. Peak hour traffi c in Dubai

could be a real concern, according to the

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA),

which oversees the system. There were

questions about the likelihood of people

leaving their car behind to use the metro but

they have since proved unfounded. The

system is heavily patronised by residents and

visitors, who all appreciate its convenience

and integrated links with popular malls,

residential areas and other forms of

transport. Offi cial fi gures show that there

were more than 109 million metro users

in 2012, an increase in popularity from

69 million the previous year.

Line by lineApart from being an architectural and

engineering showpiece, Dubai Metro

provides an effi cient, environmentally

friendly and convenient form of transport

in what was rapidly becoming one of the

most congested cities in the world. The

design and build contract for the Metro

was awarded in 2005 to the Dubai Rail Link

(DURL) consortium, which was made up of

four Japanese companies – Mitsubishi

Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation,

Obayashi Corporation and Kajima

Corporation – along with Yapi Merkezi of

Turkey. Atkins worked with the latter three

companies, which made up the civil

contractor – the Japan Turkey (JT) Metro JV.

Working on the project was no small

order: Atkins’ role included the full

multidisciplinary design and management

of all civil works, stations, depots and car

parks along with the full integration of the

railway systems into the infrastructure. The

challenge, in terms of co-ordination and

logistics was to deliver the project with

minimum interference to the surrounding

city. It involved bringing together specialist

design expertise from more than 20 of

Atkins’ international offi ces right from the

start and combining that with the

company’s local presence in Dubai.

Atkins’ work on the Metro’s Red Line

covered 52.5km of track, four underground

and 25 above ground stations, two

maintenance depots, two car parks and

5km of footbridges. On the Green Line, the

company delivered 22km of track, six

underground and 12 above ground

stations, one maintenance depot, one car

park and 1.5km of footbridges. As part of

the integrated transport system, every

station caters to public feeder buses, taxis,

private car drop-off and pick-up, car parks

and pedestrians. The elevated stations have

air-conditioned walkways across roads

fi tted with travelators and escalators.

“From my point of view, it was very

satisfying to see the Metro opening on the

due date, particularly given that we were

appointed nine months into the project; to

have caught up the time and to have taken

on board the multitude of changes that

were required was a fantastic achievement

by the whole design team,” says John

Newby, who was the project director with

Atkins in Dubai.

“Second, the project showed what Atkins

can do when it works together. Few, if any

other companies could have provided the

wide range of skills and experience required

to design the entire Metro and to manage the

process to a successful conclusion.”

THE DUBAI LINE

8

Atkins’ work on the DubAi Metro incluDeD 60KM OF VIADUCTS; 12KM OF TUNNELS UNDERNEATH A LIVE CITY; 4KM OF FOOTBRIDGES; AND 47 STATIONS OVER 75KM OF TRACK

How do you create a completely new

metro system for a bustling urban centre

such as Dubai? It takes long term vision,

multidisciplinary skill on an international

scale and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure the project

runs smoothly.

p08-09_Atkins5_DubaiMetro_F.indd 8 05/04/2013 12:20

stations, one maintenance depot, one car

park and 1.5km of footbridges. As part of

the integrated transport system, every

station caters to public feeder buses, taxis,

private car drop-off and pick-up, car parks

and pedestrians. The elevated stations have

air-conditioned walkways across roads

fitted with travelators and escalators.

“From my point of view, it was very

satisfying to see the Metro opening on the

due date, particularly given that we were

appointed nine months into the project; to

have caught up the time and to have taken

on board the multitude of changes that

were required was a fantastic achievement

by the whole design team,” says John

Newby, who was the project director with

Atkins in Dubai.

“Second, the project showed what Atkins

can do when it works together. Few, if any

other companies could have provided the

wide range of skills and experience required

to design the entire Metro and to manage the

process to a successful conclusion.”

Atkins’ work on the DubAi Metro incluDeD 60KM OF VIADUCTS; 12KM OF TUNNELS UNDERNEATH A LIVE CITY; 4KM OF FOOTBRIDGES; AND 47 STATIONS OVER 75KM OF TRACK

staying on trackDUBAI METRO

p08-09_Atkins5_DubaiMetro_F.indd 9 05/04/2013 12:20

10

From Doha to Hong Kong and from

Dubai to Copenhagen, Atkins’ expertise

is playing a vital part in the race to deliver

some of the most exciting and innovative

metro projects in the world. Despite the

economic downturn, the market for new,

refurbished and extended metro systems

continues to boom, driven by soaring urban

populations, congestion and concerns

about climate change.

Typically, construction costs range from

£30m-£250m per kilometre. That’s around

twice as expensive as building light rail and

ten times more than laying tramways.

Dedicated bus systems are cheaper still.

Why do so many cities take the metro route?

According to Anne-Grethe Foss, CEO

of Metroselskabet, the Copenhagen Metro

operator, it’s about achieving long-term value

for money: “Metro is the most expensive in

terms of construction costs, but if you look at

the lifetime costs, metro is better than the

other two systems. It attracts more passengers

and doesn’t cost as much to operate.”

Building bright new stations and

providing reliable, comfortable trains –

the Copenhagen Metro has both – attracts

new passengers and helps to achieve the

transport planners’ Holy Grail: modal shift.

This means luring people out of cars and

onto other less polluting modes of transport.

Metro systems also offer a degree of

cachet that other modes of public transport

lack. That’s important because it helps to

attract people who might not normally

use public transport.

“Passengers have a choice, so the

aesthetic dimension is very important,”

says Foss, one of Europe’s most experienced

rail executives and a qualified architect.

“The metro is attractive. We get passengers

who would never use a bus. People want

to be part of the metro and they like to

say they’re using it because they’re helping

to cut down on CO2 emissions.”

The decision to build the Copenhagen

Metro – which opened in 2002 and is

undergoing further expansion – was driven

While the London Underground opened its doors in 1863, for much of the world, a fully functional metro system remains an expensive dream to be fulfilled. Yet cities are finding the finances and making the investment. What is it about metro systems that is so appealing?

Metro For tHe Metropolitans

changing transportMETrO

p10-13_Atkins4 Metros F.indd 10 05/04/2013 14:26

While the London Underground opened its doors in 1863, for much of the world, a fully functional metro system remains an expensive dream to be fulfilled. Yet cities are finding the finances and making the investment. What is it about metro systems that is so appealing?

“passengers Have a cHoice, sO THE

AEsTHETIC DIMEnsIOn Is vErY IMPOrTAnT....WE GET PAssEnGErs WHO WOULD nEvEr UsE A BUs. people

Want to be part oF tHe Metro AnD THEY

LIkE TO sAY THEY’rE UsInG IT BECAUsE THEY’rE HELPInG

TO CUT DOWn On CO2 EMIssIOns”

– AnnE-GrETHE FOss CEO OF METrOsELskABET

p10-13_Atkins4 Metros F.indd 11 05/04/2013 14:26

12

by a desire to spur growth in the city. It

also minimised the environmental impacts

associated with the developments related

to the construction of the Øresund Bridge,

which links Copenhagen with Malmö in

sweden and has created a virtual

metropolitan area with a population of

more than two million.

Dealing with development The forces shaping the decision to build

new metros – and to upgrade existing ones

– differ from city to city, says Paul Abbosh,

regional development director for Atkins

in the Middle East.

“The most important factor in rapidly

developing economies such as India and

China is the large-scale migration of people

from the countryside to the cities,” Abbosh

says. “In places such as Doha and Dubai,

it’s about keeping a growing marketplace

functioning. If you’re looking to develop a

city as a service centre or a centre for tourism

and shopping, you need to keep it moving

and not let people get snarled up in traffic.”

With more than half of the global

population now living in cities and around

600,000 million vehicles jostling for space

on the world’s increasingly congested roads,

it’s clear that efficient metro systems are

essential to economic survival.

Take Hong kong, a key market for

Atkins: rail is the backbone of its public

transport system, embracing everything from

light rail through to heavy metro with fast

trains. It’s one of the most densely populated

metropolitan regions on earth and it’s

geographically complex: the Hong kong

special Administrative region includes both

the new Territories and Hong kong Island.

Hong kong’s population has grown

rapidly over the past 30 years. The current

population, now more than seven million,

is up three million from 1975. Hong kong’s

rail system is acknowledged to be one of the

world’s safest and most reliable. Almost all

of it has been built in the past 30 years.

“The railways here are essentially new

build,” says John Blackwood, director of rail

for Atkins. “Hong kong has adopted

a highly integrated approach to railway

development and there are close links

between transport and urban planning.”

Property development in Hong kong is closely

co-ordinated with new rail construction. It’s

a symbiotic relationship, which cuts the risk

for rail operators and property developers

alike. The close link between railways and

property development is nothing new. Back in

1915, London’s Metropolitan railway created

the concept of “Metro-land” as a way to

promote its train services. The company

bought up rural land beside its new lines

and developed it, thus creating a ready

supply of passengers and, in the process,

creating a model of suburban development

that spread worldwide.

Today, few rail operators would be willing

or able to speculate in this way. Constructing

a metro system is expensive and getting such

projects off the ground often involves state or

municipal support. In the Gulf states, that

might take the form of direct funding from

sovereign wealth funds. In Hong kong,

development rights awarded to the railway

operator once provided majority support,

though this is changing to a more diversified

system of funding. Metro financing in

Copenhagen is generated by sales of

green field areas belonging to the state

and the local authorities.

Perfect partnerships rail development is an increasingly

collaborative exercise and it’s one in

which Atkins plays a major part.

“We advise clients across the board,”

says Abbosh. “They include government

authorities, ministries, municipalities and

developers creating work, rest and play-

type developments that require transport.”

Arguments about sustainability are also

playing a growing part in building a case for

new metro systems. Taking an electric train,

for example, produces around a third of the

CO2 of an equivalent journey by car. That’s

just one facet of the case for rail. Particulate

emissions are lower, less land is required than

for roads and metro journeys are invariably

faster, as well as safer, than car journeys.

But urban design that’s based on rail is

sustainable in other ways too, notes

Abbosh: “If you can reduce road trips

around your development by putting in

place a sensible transport policy, you can

build at higher density. If you can build

denser, you get more profit.”

Metro Middle EastDoha, the capital city of the state of

Qatar, has ambitious plans to upgrade its

infrastructure as part of its 2030 masterplan.

This includes a metro system linking the

airport with the city centre and other busy

areas. But there is an important milestone on

the way to 2030 for Qatar – its hosting of the

FIFA World Cup in 2022. The initial segments

of the metro will be in operation before 2022

in order to transport fans to the various stadia

in and around the city – the metro will be vital

in ensuring smooth transportation during this

£30m-£250mTHE TYPICAL rAnGE OF construction cost per KiloMetre FOr A nEW METrO sYsTEM. IT MAY COsT MOrE THAn sOME TrAnsPOrT OPTIOns, BUT IT’s ALL ABOUT long-terM value

Metro systems in urban environments encourage “modal shift” in passenger use, giving them a reason not to drive and helping to minimise emissions. They represent an important part of any public transport strategy.

p10-13_Atkins4 Metros F.indd 12 05/04/2013 14:26

13

municipal support. In the Gulf states, that

might take the form of direct funding from

sovereign wealth funds. In Hong kong,

development rights awarded to the railway

operator once provided majority support,

though this is changing to a more diversified

system of funding. Metro financing in

Copenhagen is generated by sales of

green field areas belonging to the state

and the local authorities.

Perfect partnerships rail development is an increasingly

collaborative exercise and it’s one in

which Atkins plays a major part.

“We advise clients across the board,”

says Abbosh. “They include government

authorities, ministries, municipalities and

developers creating work, rest and play-

type developments that require transport.”

Arguments about sustainability are also

playing a growing part in building a case for

new metro systems. Taking an electric train,

for example, produces around a third of the

CO2 of an equivalent journey by car. That’s

just one facet of the case for rail. Particulate

emissions are lower, less land is required than

for roads and metro journeys are invariably

faster, as well as safer, than car journeys.

But urban design that’s based on rail is

sustainable in other ways too, notes

Abbosh: “If you can reduce road trips

around your development by putting in

place a sensible transport policy, you can

build at higher density. If you can build

denser, you get more profit.”

Metro Middle EastDoha, the capital city of the state of

Qatar, has ambitious plans to upgrade its

infrastructure as part of its 2030 masterplan.

This includes a metro system linking the

airport with the city centre and other busy

areas. But there is an important milestone on

the way to 2030 for Qatar – its hosting of the

FIFA World Cup in 2022. The initial segments

of the metro will be in operation before 2022

in order to transport fans to the various stadia

in and around the city – the metro will be vital

in ensuring smooth transportation during this

historic event. In 2011, Atkins was appointed

by the Government of Qatar to set up and

run a new Central Planning Office, the role of

which is to oversee and co-ordinate the work

of the various authorities implementing major

infrastructure projects over the coming

decade. The work includes ensuring that the

various transport systems provide an

integrated, multi-modal solution, with the

metro as its backbone. In common with

metros around the world, the Doha metro

will be underground within the congested city

centre: Atkins is also advising on the

sequencing of the metro and other

infrastructure projects to ensure that

disruption is kept to a minimum while

construction takes place.

In Dubai, the initial segment of the

region’s first metro system was opened in

2009 and the second line two years later.

Commissioned by Dubai’s roads and

Transport Authority (rTA), the Dubai Metro

is designed to reduce congestion, improve

travel times and cut pollution. Atkins was

the design consultant for the Dubai rapid

Link Consortium, the project contractor.

“It was a major initiative,” stresses Abbosh.

“Everything was achieved at a fast pace and

on a considerable scale. It included 75km of

track, 47 stations, nine tunnels, three depots

and three car parks. The challenge, in terms

of co-ordination and logistics, was to deliver

it with minimum interference to the

surrounding city.” now fully operational, the

Dubai Metro is the world’s longest driverless

system. It is also one of the best appointed,

with elegant architect-designed stations and

swift, comfortable trains complete with

wireless information systems.

success in driving forward major metro

projects continues to earn Atkins prestige

contracts around the world. These include

high-profile implementations such as the

systems integration contract for the Makkah

metro in saudi Arabia, which provides safe,

comfortable transportation for Hajj pilgrims.

“The Dubai Metro enabled us to build up

expertise in the civil design of railways here

in the Middle East, and the Makkah metro

demonstrates the other string to our bow,

which is the rail systems side,” says John

newby, a director of infrastructure with

Atkins. “It’s enabling us to show the full

range of services on metros.”

£30m-£250mTHE TYPICAL rAnGE OF construction cost per KiloMetre FOr A nEW METrO sYsTEM. IT MAY COsT MOrE THAn sOME TrAnsPOrT OPTIOns, BUT IT’s ALL ABOUT long-terM value

Metro systems in urban environments encourage “modal shift” in passenger use, giving them a reason not to drive and helping to minimise emissions. They represent an important part of any public transport strategy.

rising proFiles in DubaiThe idea of a metro for Dubai certainly

raised a few eyebrows when it was first proposed but since then it has

become a vital transport link.

p10-13_Atkins4 Metros F.indd 13 05/04/2013 14:27

spiritualjourneysSaudi arabia

14

p14-15_Atkins_Mekkah v5.indd 14 05/04/2013 12:21

For 14 centuries, Muslim pilgrims have

travelled to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi arabia

for the largest annual gathering of people

on Earth. The pilgrimage, known as the Hajj,

is undertaken at least once in a lifetime by

Muslims who are physically and financially

able to make the journey. The number of

people taking part has now reached almost

three million and it’s expected to rise to at

least four million over the coming decades.

There has been significant investment in

infrastructure and accommodation to make

getting to and from the holy sites easier and

safer, in response to recent and anticipated

future growth in pilgrim numbers.

The al Mashaaer al Mugaddassah Metro

project was built to relieve congestion

between arafat and Jamarat. it consists of 18

kilometres of elevated track, nine elevated

stations and a depot. it was constructed in

just 22 months, opening in time for Hajj in

November 2010, and has the capacity to

transport 72,000 passengers per hour in each

direction – more than any other metro.

atkins was commissioned as MEP detail

design Consultant to the contractor, China

railway Construction (CrCC). This included

the production of co-ordinated detailed

design drawings, technical specifications

and equipment schedules. atkins had two

further contracts: first, as railway systems

design consultant responsible for procuring,

managing and co-ordinating all the rail

systems design through to operational

readiness and, second, as the independent

verification engineer of the civil and

structural elements of the project.

“Our teams brought many years of

experience to this project but it is unusual

for a mass transit system to transport so

many people over just a few weeks of the

year,” says atkins project director Julian Hill.

“This resulted in 300m long trains with

much longer than normal metro stations.

This meant that power supplies and air-

conditioning systems had to be bigger to

meet this extra demand. Our design teams

used their many years of international metro

experience to size the plant rooms and

optimise the layouts so that rooms were laid

out in the most efficient locations.”

Metro platforms are open to the

atmosphere and covered by a fabric canopy,

cooled by evaporative “desert coolers”. These

require far less power than conventional air-

conditioning units and cool the air by

evaporating microscopic drops of water in the

airstream. They are very effective in Makkah,

due to the low ambient humidity levels.

a programme of this scale and

complexity would usually take four years to

complete. To help deliver a safe, reliable

metro in less than two years, atkins used

building information modelling (biM) to

optimise designs and detect clashes.

as Julian Hill explains: “The benefits

of biM were realised through the quality

and level of detail contained within the

design drawings. it allowed the contractor

to complete the procurement and

installation phases quickly and meet the

challenging schedule.”

Desert cooler: Makkah Metro

15

p14-15_Atkins_Mekkah v5.indd 15 05/04/2013 12:22

When it was announced that the 2010 World Cup would be hosted in South Africa, it led to an investment in infrastructure to cope with the crowds. Three years on, commuters continue to benefit from the continent’s first rapid-speed rail link.

A need for speed in south AfricA

p16-17_Atkins6_Gautrain_F.indd 16 05/04/2013 12:22

Africa’s first rapid-speed rail link,

Gautrain, connects Johannesburg, the

largest city in South Africa, with Pretoria,

the administrative capital of the country,

in a mere 40 minutes. It offers an

alternative to the 160km drive along the

country’s busiest road, Ben Schoeman

(N1) Freeway, and has transformed the

way people commute, cutting journey

times from hours to minutes.

The first phase of the line – which

runs between OR Tambo International

Airport and Sandton in North

Johannesburg – was completed in

2010 in time for the first match of the

football World Cup. The South African

Government saw this world sporting

event as the catalyst for a major

transport infrastructure upgrade.

Atkins worked alongside Bombela

Civils Joint Venture to complete the

first phase of the line on time.

Atkins’ involvement in the project

started in 2005 with preliminary design

work and construction on the 80km rail

network began a year later. More than

500 Atkins staff from around the world

added their expertise to the project,

designing the permanent way and

alignment for the entire route.

The company was also responsible

for two detailed design packages for the

underground civils work and provided

designs for 15km of underground

tunnels, three underground stations

and seven emergency shafts.

The team devised a low carbon

cooling system that tackled the problem

of high summer temperatures in

underground stations. The innovative

solution uses smoke extract ventilation

fans to draw in chilled night air,

effectively cooling the underground

tunnels so that they act as refrigeration

elements during the day.

Sandton station – the meeting point

of two rail routes – also demonstrates

Atkins’ innovative design approach.

Instead of excavating 160,000m3 of rock,

Atkins proposed an alternate solution

and used leading edge design and

analysis techniques to re-engineer the

station as two smaller caverns instead of

one large underground box. This meant

less than half the original quantity of rock

had to be excavated, shaving eight

months off the programme schedule.

“Gautrain is an example of how good

design can improve people’s lives by

providing them with modern, secure

infrastructure solutions,” says Rob

McCrae, Atkins’ project manager for the

underground section of the project. “The

introduction of a fast and safe means of

travel to the centre of Johannesburg has

changed the way people commute and

helped in the move towards greater

public transport use.”

In March 2011, the Atkins’ team was

given the Outstanding Achievement

award at the NCE/ACE Consultants of the

Year Awards for their work and strong

community links on the project, which

were built up through engagement with

local staff and consultancy firms.

The introduction of Gautrain was,

according to the Gauteng Provincial

Government that oversees the transport

infrastructure, part of a longer-term vision

to develop a new culture of public

transport use. Just over three months

after the first line had opened, the rail

link had already carried over one million

passengers and in August 2011, Gautrain

started operating between Rosebank

station in the north-west of

Johannesburg and Hatfield station in

Pretoria. A bus service was also integrated

to serve all ten stations. By June 2012,

the southernmost station, Park, was

opened and additional capacity had been

introduced, resulting in increased train

lengths from four cars to eight during

morning and afternoon peak hours.

Gautrain launchSOuTH AFRICA

17

p16-17_Atkins6_Gautrain_F.indd 17 05/04/2013 12:22

18

sight unseenCrossrail

Deep underground, beneath the

hustle and bustle of london’s streets,

an amazing feat of engineering is

taking shape. Crossrail, a new rail

service, will connect the City, Canary

Wharf, the West End and Heathrow

airport to commuter areas east and

west of the capital. it promises

londoners greater rail capacity, more

comfortable, energy efficient trains and

reduced journey times. The benefits are

also said to extend to neighbourhoods

around the route, with increased

investment opportunities and

focused development.

Crossrail has the potential to

redefine the way london moves.

But the construction– which will

entail the removal of around

7.3 million cubic metres of excavated

material – has to be carefully

managed in line with parliamentary

commitments, local authority

agreements and consideration for

residents and businesses.

The start of major work began

in May 2009 with the Prime Minister

and london’s Mayor attending a

groundbreaking ceremony at Canary

Wharf, just east of the city. and as

work progressed, enthusiasm for

the new rail link quickly gathered

momentum with the Mayor of

london Boris Johnson saying: “The

transformational force of Crossrail is

now coming ever nearer to central

london. With every twist of these

giant boring machines we are

unleashing the huge economic

opportunities stemming from this

ambitious infrastructure project.

Furthermore, the construction of

Crossrail’s eastern section is

demonstrating london’s world-class

engineering expertise and providing

thousands of technical training and

job opportunities.”

A subterranean cityin 2012, work started on the most

awe-inspiring part of this project –

the 42 kilometres of tunnels that

the new trains will travel through.

Engineers and designers couldn’t start

a project of this scale and complexity

by walking into the unknown.

Tunnelling under london has

been described as akin to navigating

through a sub-surface city. The new

tunnels must avoid existing

underground services, sewers,

foundations, chambers and lost

watercourses. a particular concern was

Europe’s biggest engineering project – Crossrail – has moved into its peak construction phase with more than 7,000 people working to connect east london with the west via this new rail link. But how do you design and construct such a major addition to the transport infrastructure in a city that is already crowded?

Standing at the croSSroadS

18

p18-21_Atkins4_crossrail v3.indd 18 05/04/2013 12:22

“Crossrail Will Bring an aDDitional 1.5 million people WiTHin 45 MinuTEs oF london’s BusinEss and EnTErTainMEnT disTriCTs WHEn iT oPEns in 2018”

p18-21_Atkins4_crossrail v3.indd 19 05/04/2013 12:22

the presence of old wells, which potentially could extend

down to tunnel level and are difficult to prevent collapsing

into the tunnel excavations.

avoiding this series of obstacles was a painstaking

operation and one that atkins, in association with arup, took

on over three years. The team built an enormous geographic

information system (gis) database, sourced by requests to

the utility companies and the relevant local authorities, library

research, aerial maps and old photographs.

in order to weave their way through this crowded

underground world, the tunnels need to be routed with

great care and concern for their immediate context.

They consist of two parallel bores of 6.2 metres internal

diameter, which is larger than london underground

tunnels but smaller than the Channel Tunnel (7.6 metres)

or the High speed 1 line. Extra height is required because

Crossrail has overhead electrification, unlike the

underground. Crossrail will not, however, have to

accommodate freight vehicles, as the Channel Tunnel must.

a joint atkins/arup team carried out the detailed design

of the tunnels. This ensured that they had sufficient

structural stability to last for over 120 years and were also

able to safely accommodate all the necessary services and

systems to ensure the efficient operation of the railway.

The design is such that the tunnels should be able to

withstand the most extreme events including a major

underground fire.

More than 3km of tunnel has been constructed

to date, with two of the eight tunnel boring machines

working throughout 2013 to complete the first route –

the 6km western section between royal oak and

Farringdon – by the end of the year. as atkins’ project

director rob McCrae, points out: “it is a real achievement

that contractors will now be constructing the uK’s biggest

ever tunnelling project to our design.”

Firm foundationsgeotechnical engineering teams used the latest

technologies to map and analyse the effect of tunnelling

ground movement on buildings, utilities and transport

infrastructure above and below ground. This level of

analysis and planning is unprecedented globally. More

than 17,000 structures have been recognised as being

within the zone of influence of the Crossrail excavations.

the new Crossrail route will connect with several large interchange points in london, including liverpool street station.

20

p18-21_Atkins4_crossrail v3.indd 20 05/04/2013 12:22

The great majority of these buildings are deemed

resilient enough and not at risk, though there remain

certain structures – such as the oldest brick sewers, cast-

iron gas mains and older buildings – that call for special

care and require one-off solutions to mitigate risk.

Next stop: station designWhile protecting existing structures is a priority, new Crossrail

stations will add a modern twist. a multi-disciplinary team

including atkins and arup undertook the detailed design of

the largest and most complex station at Tottenham Court

road and the underground station at Woolwich station.

atkins and arup also worked together on the only new

overground Crossrail station, Custom House, this time in

conjunction with allies and Morrison architects. located in

the east of london, Custom House has been designed as a

“kit of parts” and is being built over a hundred miles away

from the station site. Components will then be transported

to the final location in the order required for final assembly.

atkins is influencing the overall look and feel of

Crossrail through the architectural component contract for

all of the stations and associated structures. This award

covers the design and specification of interior elements

such as the wall and ceiling finishes, cladding systems,

seating, lighting and wayfinding.

“Clearly, on a large-scale transport project such as

Crossrail, functionality and cost effectiveness are at the

forefront,” says richard Warwick, atkins’ lead architect.

“However, as well as ensuring the spaces meet all of the

complex functional requirements and promote passenger

safety, these stations must also champion the best in design

excellence. atkins is creating designs that work with their

environments, and together with grimshaw and gia

Equation we have produced interiors made from a common

palette of finishes and components that create a look and

feel which unifies the network.”

The next two years will be a busy time along the

new rail route. The first tunnels will be complete, new

central london stations will take shape and the existing rail

network will be upgraded. But there is still a long way

to go to meet the 2018 deadline. Thousands more

contracts are yet to be awarded and work goes on

at over 40 construction sites, demonstrating the

enormous scale and complexity of this project.

atkins is designing the interior architectural components in all of the Crossrail stations. The project will combine efficient access with a contemporary aesthetic, so that passengers enjoy their journey from end to end.

“WiTH EvEry TWisT oF THEsE giant

boring maChines WE arE unlEasHing

huge eConomiC opportunities”

p18-21_Atkins4_crossrail v3.indd 21 05/04/2013 12:22

tunnel thinkingHong Kong

p22-23_Atkins8_HK tunnel_V11.indd 22 05/04/2013 12:23

Dig this: Hong Kong’s West Island Line

over 90 per cent of Hong Kong’s Western District residents have to rely on buses and trams, owing to the limited extent of the existing rail network. A new rapid transit rail line is due to extend that network into the district by 2014, taking pressure off a system that is already feeling the strain.

For Hong Kong’s densely populated and built-

up Western District, a new rapid transit system will

offer some much-needed respite from the

difficulties involved in getting from A to B. Atkins is

working closely with railway network operator MTR

Corporation to complete Hong Kong’s West Island

Line, an extension of the Island Line that runs from

Sheung Wan in the Central and Western District to

Chai Wan in the Eastern District.

The tunnels will pass beneath one of the most

congested vertical urban centres in the world and

underground stations will be created to minimise

the line’s footprint in this already tightly packed

environment. It demands ongoing assessments of

the potential impact of the work on everything

from water supply to the stability of buildings that

sit above the tunnels. And there is the question of

what to do with the debris as digging progresses.

Starting from scratchPlans for the extension cover 3km of underground

line and new stations at Sai Ying Pun and Hong

Kong University (HKU) – both cavern stations – as

well as Kennedy Town. Atkins’ tunnel designs take

them through low-lying soft ground materials and

rock, from the coastline and up the hillside, with

overlying structures and extensive populated areas

along their length. All three stations must connect

with the existing station at Sheung Wan, the

current Island Line terminus.

The location is so built-up that several

government facilities had to be relocated to provide

worksites for the project as well as providing

access to the underground shafts. A temporary

underground explosives storage space had to be

established for the blasting materials, because it

wasn’t safe for them to be transported along

crowded public roads regularly. And, in order to

minimise disruption to the local community, 90 per

cent of tunnel debris has to be removed via a

covered conveyor system to a barging facility.

Creating the perfect cavern The HKU and Sai Ying Pun cavern stations

themselves – the first such stations built in Hong

Kong since 1983 – presented particular

engineering challenges, not merely because they

are the largest of their kind on Hong Kong island.

Rock cover above Sai Ying Pun shrinks to only

10m at one point, which means the large-span

cavern designs at HKU had to be replaced with

two narrow “finger platform” tunnels.

Access was another issue for this project – and

not only from the surface. The buildings sit above

a maze of utilities, which restricts tunnelling

activities such as borehole drilling. Pilot tunnels

had to be considered before any excavation.

Water pressure and other hydro-geological

concerns also formed a key consideration in the

cavern designs. Their long-term impact could be

felt in everything from groundwater control to

surface settlement and, as such, detailed

assessments were needed from the start. For

example, the land above Sai Ying Pun station

includes more than 30 older buildings, the

foundations of which could be influenced by the

cavern construction as well as longer-term effects.

When it opens, it is hoped that the West Island

Line will improve day-to-day life in one of the world’s

most hectic and crowded urban environments.

p22-23_Atkins8_HK tunnel_V11.indd 23 05/04/2013 12:23

Ringing the interchanges

Developing commercial and residential space around public transport hubs offers a real opportunity to spread risk and gain income from property investments, while helping to build sustainable communities in areas that would most benefit. But it’s no silver bullet and there are still some big challenges to be overcome if it’s going to take off worldwide.

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“What do communities living near transport

hubs really need?” asks Abigail Thorne-Lyman,

director of the US-based Center for Transit-

Oriented Development (CTOD). This is the

question at the heart of the work that she and

her colleagues across the country have been

doing since CTOD opened back in 2004.

CTOD is a non-profit partnership of three

organisations in the US: Reconnecting America,

the Center for Neighbourhood Technology and

Strategic Economics, a real estate and

development consulting firm. The organisation’s

focus is on transit-oriented development (TOD) –

mixed-use residential and commercial areas built

around transport hubs, such as railways, bus or

subway stations, where car use is minimised and

pedestrian facilities are emphasised.

In 2004 CTOD published Hidden in Plain

Sight, a report highlighting the growing demand

for housing in transit-rich communities.

“We wanted to let developers know why they

needed to focus on this particular area when

considering new housing projects,” says Thorne-

Lyman. “We wanted them to see that you can do

something different when you build new transit.

It’s not always about what developers want to

do. It’s about creating a community in an area

near transit and developing the area in order to

encourage people to build that community.”

Cities such as Amsterdam, Hong Kong and

Munich have already demonstrated the

effectiveness of this approach. They are known

for their large, central railway stations and for the

socio-economic benefits that flow from these,

including a good traffic-transit balance, thriving

city centres and a certain quality of life.

According to Jason Hutchings, responsible

for architecture and urban design at Atkins in

Hong Kong, the great value of TOD is that it offers

attractive development opportunities while being

inherently sustainable. It also provides an effective

way for transport operators to fund infrastructure

projects, thereby reducing the burden on taxpayers.

Hong Kong itself is widely seen as a leading

TOD model. Since the mid-1990s the city’s mass-

transit authority, the MTR Corporation, has

invested in several stations, introducing shops,

offices, hotels and leisure amenities on and

around these. In the process it has been able to

supplement its income, benefiting passengers

through better facilities and services, while

promoting a sustainable approach.

“The government allowed the MTR

Corporation to develop commercially on top of its

stations, which means that it not only runs the

trains, but it’s also the landlord and, in some cases,

the owner of shops, restaurants and residential

blocks,” Hutchings says. “It receives money from

the property development as well as from

operating the trains. An increase in the first activity

drives an increase in the second and vice versa.”

The MTR Corporation is now making

significantly more profit from its property

interests (£290m in 2009) than it is from fares

(£171m). Such has the been the quality of its

schemes, the company’s retail operation,

go with the flowTRANSIT-ORIENTED DEvELOpMENT

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MTR-Malls, is successfully managing large-

scale retail development located further afield

from its stations.

Hutchings points out that, as well as

providing benefits to transport operators and

their passengers, a TOD can give an economic

boost to the surrounding area.

“There are collateral benefits of having one in

an urban context. It generally uplifts the area and

therefore increases property values,” he says.

This position is reiterated by property

consultancy Knight Frank, which provides

commercial and development advice on TODs

in Hong Kong and China. Knight Frank and

Atkins’ architects know that integrated transport

elements and real estate developments produce

the best possible return on investment.

“In land-scarce, high-value cities such as Hong

Kong, TODs allow for greater densification and

therefore better use of land resources,” says paul

Hart, executive director of Knight Frank Greater

China. He adds that the provision of an integrated

rail transport solution within a comprehensive

development results in significant increases in

value. This not only helps to fund the investment

in infrastructure but also provides local authorities

with an enhanced tax base, as property values in

the vicinity will also benefit.

Hart points out that TOD presents opportunities

for rail operators to make the most of their non-

fare revenues by taking advantage of retail and

advertising opportunities within stations. “Non-

fare revenue is becoming more important and

we are seeing more customer-focused retail

being provided in station.”

professor Chris Hale, a Melbourne-based

TOD expert, adds that TODs enable transport

operators to plan more easily for the longer

term, too. “Mass transit is costly to refurbish and

extend. Transit operators need to know how

their passenger numbers will increase and how

growth is going to occur. Good TOD planning

provides some certainty,” he says. “The transport

operator wants certainty that it’s not building a

white elephant. If development is associated

with a transport hub, and the government is

behind that hub, there is increased certainty for

developers as well.”

While Hutchings and Hale are steadfast TOD

enthusiasts, they’re well aware of the challenges

involved in realising such schemes. One problem is

that pedestrian traffic through TODs tends to be

tidal, sweeping in and out during the rush hours.

To counteract that, Hutchings says it’s important to

integrate different types of commercial business

and attractions to fill in for off-peak hours.

On the other hand, TODs can help to solve a

common problem with shopping malls: that visitors

tend to resist using escalators, stairs and lifts. The

normal approach by developers is to put something

like a food court on a higher floor in the hope of

enticing shoppers there, but that’s not always

successful. Stations with underground platforms

naturally bring people upwards, though.

“The vertical movement of people is vital to the

success of these projects,” Hutchings says. “What’s

really good about combining a commercial

property development with a metro system is that

trains are normally two or three levels down, so

people already have to come up through the

building from the basement. Integrating this with

elevated pedestrian connections and podium

facilities encourages vertical movement and

activation of multiple retail levels.”

Lake developersHong Kong’s TOD success has not been lost on

planners in mainland China. Meixi Lake is a new

development being built outside the southern city

of Changsha. The satellite “eco-city”, which will

eventually be home to more than 200,000 people,

will be based on four metro stations, each with a

distinctive identity. The first incorporates a cultural

centre and opera house; the second, a high-end

residential area built around a man-made lake; the

third, a mixed-use “icon tower”; and the fourth,

a business and financial district.

Mark Harrison, senior technical director for

Atkins’ urban planning consultancy in China says

the idea was to plan high-density, mixed-use

cores around the four metro stations.

“The planning strategy located metro

stations within 500m walk-in and wider ride-in

catchments, to encourage the maximum possible

use of public transport.”

The aim is to reduce carbon and other

harmful emissions, promote accessibility to a

wide range of facilities for all sections of the

“ Transit operators need to know how their passenger numbers will increase and growth is going to occur. Good TOD planning provides some certainty. The transport operator wants certainty that it’s not building a white elephant.”

10%

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community, and maximize land values around

the stations. An integrated approach to

transport planning connects all modes to the

key metro station interchanges and there is a

transport hierarchy: the focus is on zero carbon

(pedestrians/cyclists) and low carbon (metro

and other public transit) transport.

The plan facilitates the creation of identity

and legibility within each TOD cluster instead of

focusing all landmark buildings within the CBD.

This approach, together with attention to the

public realm, promotes identity and sense of

place across the site.

By diversifying land uses, the plan also builds

a degree of flexibility into the subsequent

implementation stages.

Harrison says that the Meixi Lake masterplan

will emerge in phases over the next 15 years.

The lake and river corridors are already built as

well as some main arterial roads and other

service infrastructure.

Different strokesAs TODs have sprung up around the world, they

have inevitably taken on different characteristics.

Not every transport operator will want, or be able,

to take the TOD concept as far as the MTR

Corporation has done in Hong Kong, for example.

Nor will many developers have the scope to create

a city from scratch.

In most cases the TODs will be more modest

affairs, perhaps incorporating a few retail and

food outlets and a pedestrian area outside. But

the starting point of any TOD project can have a

big influence on its outcome, as CTOD’s Thorne-

Lyman points out. If developers are given free rein,

there’s a risk that people at the lower end of the

income scale could be pushed out and that

doesn’t benefit anyone in the long run.

A lot of CTOD’s recent research in the US,

for example, has focused on mixed-income TOD

and the preservation of housing. “We call it

‘revitalisation without displacement’, where you’re

able to capture those revitalising aspects without

sacrificing residential opportunities for lower-

income households or displacing people,” she says.

Much of CTOD’s work has focused on

communities that are adding fixed-guideway

transit lines for the first time – eg, heavy,

commuter and light rail, monorail, trolleycars,

aerial trams and cable cars – and trying to

decipher the potential effects of that investment.

“For many regions, this is an unprecedented

investment and we’re trying to help them

anticipate its impact on communities and to

determine how to get the most out of TOD’s

revitalising aspects,” says Thorne-Lyman. “And

there can be quite a bit of resistance to the idea:

there is no sense of how TOD might change a

lower-income community, for example. There is

a fear that low-income residents will have to move

somewhere further away if property values rise

quickly owing to the introduction of a TOD.

“TOD is a complicated build. Mixed-use

development is hard enough because you’re

pulling from several different lending streams,

including retail and offices and residential, but then

you add mixed use and all the extra infrastructure

and it’s even more complicated. Often the first

developer in the door risks not making any money.

As such, TOD isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for

developers looking for a quick win.”

Hale, who has a doctorate in TOD-related

economics and planning, says that while the US is

still at a relatively early stage in its adoption of

TODs, East Asia and Europe are most advanced.

“In Asia there seems to be an intuitive

understanding of both the value and the scarcity of

land close to transit infrastructure,” he says. “The

result has been a substantial and dense clustering

of residential, commercial and retail activities and

development around high-performance rail

systems. Asian cities are quite simply the most

transit-oriented of all city types.”

He contrasts the ability of East Asian authorities

and developers “to get things done” with that of

their US counterparts, where even relatively small

TOD projects have been stymied by years of

planning disputes. Australia, by comparison, has

“rhetorically adopted” TODs, but not always

followed through. “The big four cities have all

adopted big transit-oriented regional plans. But

Sydney is doing it: 70 per cent of new housing

there is built in these types of locations,” he says.

Certainly, TOD is not for the faint-hearted. Hale

describes such projects as “more technically

challenging than a lot of developments”.

Integrating two different building types can set off

statutory and zoning complications. And usually

there are many interested parties. “It is quite an

intensive form of development in a built-up area,

so there needs to be lots of co-ordination with

local stakeholders,” he adds.

Still, Hutchings says the challenges are all

surmountable and that the benefits, all told, easily

outweigh the effort required. “TODs present

planning, statutory and infrastructural issues that

need addressing, but that’s why transport operators

and developers need consultants such as Atkins,” he

says. “In truth, I haven’t come across any negative

impacts from designing and delivering TODs.”

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p24-27_Atkins8_TOD_v10.indd 27 05/04/2013 14:13

John Newby is a

programme manager

with 30 years of

experience of

major international

infrastructure projects,

particularly new railways. He is currently

leading the team that is preparing initial

design and parliamentary plans for a

proposed high speed railway in the UK.

Prior to this, he spent 13 years in Hong

Kong and six years in Dubai. In the

Middle East, he was the director responsible

for establishing and running a new

department within the Qatar Government

that co-ordinates road, rail, metro and

other infrastructure projects. He was also

Atkins’ project director on Dubai Metro.

A Middle East railway division was

established under John’s leadership and

has undertaken the designs of Makkah,

Kolkotta and Kuwait Metros.

Andy Southern is

a strategic advisor

on transport matters,

working at the

professional/political

interface, distilling key

messages and advice. He is a Fellow of

the Chartered Institution of Highways &

Transportation and the Chartered Institute

of Logistics and Transport. With 30 years of

experience in the transport sector in the UK

and internationally – over half of which has

been at director or managing director level –

Andy has provided advice and technical

analysis at international, national, regional

and city levels on multi-modal transport

policy and investment planning, including

institutional capacity building, city region

governance, mass transit and sustainability.

He has directed international comparative

studies on best practice in transport policy

and strategic land-use transport planning

for city regions.

John Blackwood is

responsible for

Atkins’ transport

sector projects in

Asia Pacific. With more

than 30 years of experience

in Hong Kong, he has played a key role in

the development of the railway network

and has worked on various network

planning, feasibility and detailed design

projects for light rail, metro and high speed

lines. These have included assignments

on a number of new lines such as Lantau

Airport Railway, West Rail, North Island

Line, South Island Line, West Island Line,

Express Rail Link and Light Rail Extensions.

He has also provided peer review and value

engineering inputs on Dubai Metro and

Gautrain in South Africa, which is Africa’s

first rapid-speed rail link.

George Ramsbottom

is a chartered civil

engineer with more

than 30 years of

experience of managing

complex multidisciplinary

infrastructure projects. He has worked in

many parts of the world including the UK,

Middle East, Africa and Asia. George is

currently based in Hong Kong and Kuala

Lumpur. For the last 15 years he has

specialised in managing major rail projects

including the Dubai Metro, Gautrain in

South Africa, and West Rail, Shatin to

Central Link and West Island Line for MTR

in Hong Kong. His experience covers all

phases of rail projects including feasibility

studies, preliminary and detailed designs,

and construction management. He has

particular expertise in techniques to ensure

scheme optimisation and co-ordination.

Atkins: Meet the expeRtSJohn Newby Dr Andy Southern John Blackwood George Ramsbottom

p28-IBC Atkins TeamBios_v5.indd 28 05/04/2013 12:24

George Ramsbottom

is a chartered civil

engineer with more

than 30 years of

experience of managing

complex multidisciplinary

infrastructure projects. He has worked in

many parts of the world including the UK,

Middle East, Africa and Asia. George is

currently based in Hong Kong and Kuala

Lumpur. For the last 15 years he has

specialised in managing major rail projects

including the Dubai Metro, Gautrain in

South Africa, and West Rail, Shatin to

Central Link and West Island Line for MTR

in Hong Kong. His experience covers all

phases of rail projects including feasibility

studies, preliminary and detailed designs,

and construction management. He has

particular expertise in techniques to ensure

scheme optimisation and co-ordination.

Atkins: Meet the expeRtSGeorge Ramsbottom

Atkins would like to thank everybody who agreed to participate in this publication, with particular thanks to all interviewees.

Cover photograph: Getty Images

published for AtKINS by Caspian Media Ltd (www.caspianmedia.com)

© 2013 Opinions expressed by contributors are their own. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

The Atkins logo, the “open A” device, “Carbon Critical Design” and the strapline “Plan Design Enable” are trademarks of Atkins Ltd.

p28-IBC Atkins TeamBios_v5.indd 29 05/04/2013 12:24

“The most important factor in rapidly developing economies such as India and

China is the large-scale migration of people from the countryside to the

cities. If you’re looking to develop a city as a service centre or a centre for tourism and shopping, you need to keep it moving and not let people

get snarled up in traffic.”

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