King's Cross St. Pancras Station Redevelopment for London Underground

Value:

About £800 million.

Timescales:

The first European train is due to arrive at St Pancras in late 2007 and by late 2009 the terminal will be able to receive high-speed commuter trains. The challenge of meeting these deadlines is increased by the need to have improved infrastructure in place for the 2012 London Olympics and the expected increase in passengers, from the present 50,000 a day, to over 90,000 a day.

Background:

This is a massive station and underground construction project in a dense, city centre environment, and development of a major operational transport hub. Therefore, there is a high level of interface with the public and all the work is completed in a very restricted space. Work has been under way since 1999 – initially to increase access points to the station – but the project has grown to become part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link activity at St Pancras. BBM – in conjunction with WS Atkins and Thames Water, forming a joint venture ABBT led by Balfour Beatty Management – became involved in April 2003, taking over the project management.

Our brief:

To provide procurement and project management obligations for Metronet, under their contract with London Underground.

Services provided:

A dedicated and highly experienced programme management team works on the project, providing management of a variety of contracts, from design, procurement, construction, installation and testing and commissioning for two new underground ticket halls, the upgrading of the existing ticket hall, and new tunnelling passenger links between them and to the deep tube lines; Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly.

Our achievements:

Phase One - including the new sub-surface Western Ticket Hall and the extension and upgrading of the existing Tube Ticket Hall – has been completed on time and with very substantial cost savings for London Underground achieved by the BBM-led team.

On Phase Two, all the main contracts have been placed, and the tunnelling and construction of the Northern Ticket Hall has got underway in 2006.

Phase Two is due for completion in 2010. However, there is a vital intermediate key date of 1st September 2008. This is the date when Network Rail must have access to start the construction of its new Western Concourse on top of the Northern Ticket Hall. This has to be completed in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.