Press Release

Morgan Est/Colas Rail joint venture win award for best practice

Date: Friday, 16^th October, 2009

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The Morgan Est / Colas Rail Rail joint venture’s £180 million extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has won a Best Practice Award at the prestigious British Construction Industry Awards for the Woolwich Arsenal Extension project.

The award was presented to the JV at Wednesday’s (14 October) ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The three-and-a-half year project which involved constructing a 2.5 kilometre extension, included civil engineering works, tunnelling, piling and diaphragm walls, station building and mechanical and electrical works, track work, signalling, communications and associated rail systems.

Judges were particularly impressed by the continuous improvement demonstrated by the joint venture, which helped deliver the project eight weeks ahead of schedule and within budget.

Richard Pollard, Project Director for the JV, said: “We are proud to have won this award. Our collaborative working from an early stage played a key role in delivering this project successfully and delighting our customer.”

Christophe Chassagnette, Project Manager for Colas Rail, added: “This was a really exciting project with many challenges arising throughout the construction period and the integration of the extension with the existing railway.

“To build and commission a railway under the Thames as well as a sub-surface station in the middle of a live town centre, which interconnects with a live Network Rail line and station was never going to be easy and the sense of pride and achievement by everyone on the team cannot be under estimated.”

-ENDS-

Notes to the editor:

1.    Colas Rail is one of Europe’s leading providers of rail infrastructure services. It combines engineering skills to provide total solutions in all aspects of design, development and delivery of rail projects, from high speed rail systems to light and urban rail.

2.    Picture attached: The Morgan Est / Colas Rail joint venture team receiving their award.