Hyder Consulting wins major Hong Kong MTR contract

Hyder Consulting – the international design and advisory consultancy – has won the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) Trackside Auxiliaries Consultancy C821 for the 26km Express Rail Link (XRL) in Hong Kong.

The XRL consists of an underground terminus in West Kowloon and approximately 26km of tunnel from the terminus to the boundary at Huanggang in mainland China.

Hyder’s East Asia team will undertake the detailed design of the tunnel's trackside mechanical and electrical services, including the system-wide cable containments system and tunnel signage.

After crossing the boundary, the mainland section of the high-speed railway line runs north for a further 116km to Guangzhou – the capital of Guangdong in southern China.

Trains on the Hong Kong section are intended to operate at high speeds of between 200-300 kph.

The 26km of dual track tunnels feature an emergency rescue station and at-grade stabling sidings in Shek Kong (located in Hong Kong’s New Territories) with approach tunnels, associated tunnel ventilation shafts/adits and buildings, railway tracks and access roads for the buildings.

Hyder, in association with Wilbur Smith and Associates, first completed a general transportation study in Hong Kong in 1967 to relieve road congestion – and in 1969, the consultancy was commissioned to carry out a detailed engineering and feasibility study for a mass transit railway.

In 1972, Hyder was appointed as designers for the first stage of the MTR, which then began service in 1979 – and ever since has been involved in all major design of civil, structural, engineering and maintenance works.

The network now includes 211.6 km of rail with 150 stations, including 82 railway stations and 68 light rail stops.

Due to its efficiency and affordability, the MTR system is a common mode of public transport in Hong Kong with over four million trips made on an average weekday.