Norwegian High-Speed Study has awarded the first contracts

Both international and Norwegian companies have been selected to start work on studies for high-speed rail in Norway. These companies will set out the foundation for future work.

The High-Speed Study put 6 different sections out for tender. We received 40 tenders from 21 companies. The companies that were awarded the contracts are:

1. Market analysis: Atkins Group (UK)
   http://www.atkinsgroup.com/ with sub-contractors Ernst&Young (UK), Temple (UK), Rand Europe (UK) and ITS Leeds (UK)
2. Rail specific planning and development analysis: WSP Samhällsbyggnad (SE) http://www.wspgroup.se/sv/WSP-Sverige/ with sub-contractors Transrail Sweden AB (SE) and Multiconsult AS (NO)
3. Financial and economic analysis: Atkins
   http://www.atkinsglobal.com/ with sub-contractors Ernst&Young (UK), Temple (UK), Rand Europe (UK), ITS Leeds (UK) and Faithful+Gould (UK)
4. Commercial and contract strategies: PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC, NO) http://www.pwc.com/no with sub-contractor PriceWaterhouse United Kingdom
5. Technical and safety analysis: Pöyry Infra (DE)
   http://www.infra.poyry.de/ with sub-contractors Interfleet Technology AS (NO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE) and Sweco Norge AS (NO)
6. Environment analysis: Asplan Viak (NO)
   http://www.asplanviak.no/ with sub-contractors MISA (NO), VWI (DE) and Brekke og Strand Akustikk AS (NO)

All these companies have previously worked on major international studies or on building high-speed rail lines. The quality of these companies reflects the great interest in these contracts.

The Director General of Jernbaneverket, Elisabeth Enger, is very pleased with the selection:

“It is important that the studies are varied and that all sides are considered. The composition of the group of companies that has won these contracts is a guarantee of both comprehensiveness and quality,” she says.

The companies will start work immediately. This means that the actual work on the biggest transport study in Norway for many years has begun.

“With these widely acknowledged companies, we have achieved one of the main prerequisites in the mandate – getting international expertise on board,” says the Project Manager of the High-Speed Study, Tom Stillesby.

Mixed group

The British company Atkins Group is the only one to have been awarded two contracts, both market analysis and financial and economic analysis.

The Managing Director of Atkins Norway, Håkon Dragsund says:

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

The only totally Norwegian company is Asplan Viak from Sandvika. Managing Director Øyvind Mork says they are very happy to have won the contract to carry out the environment analysis:

“The work involved in the environment analysis will be a professional challenge, and is very well suited to our expertise and strategy. The size of the task will also provide opportunities for professional development for both ourselves and our client,” says Mork.

3 phases

The High-Speed Study is divided into 3 phases: Phase 1 consisted of collecting and assessing earlier studies. The conclusion is that they were created in such different ways that they cannot be compared. Phase 2, which we have entered now, consists therefore of getting the groundwork into place before the specific routes are evaluated. This will provide a proper basis upon which the different routes can be compared. Phase 3 will be the actual detailed study of the following routes:

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

These routes will be put out for tender at the end of October.

Contact

Communications consultant for the High-Speed Study
Lisbet Kierulf Botnen
Tel. +47 900 34 970
[email protected]

The task of the High-Speed Study is to recommend strategies for future passenger train transport in South Norway. The study is organised as an independent project organisation, but is under the control of the Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket). The project, which is due for completion in February 2012, will be a vital part of the National Transport Plan 2014 – 2023. See www.jbv.no for more information.