Skanska has handed over four weeks early a further two kilometres of Channel Tunnel Rail Link contract 430 to Union Railways (South).
The hand over of the section just outside Ashford clears the way for the installation of final rail infrastructure such as track and overhead power lines ready for the first train to pass through in 2003 at 300 km/p.
Skanska has already completed an eight-kilometre section north of Ashford with most of it finished ahead of programme – some by up to seven weeks. The work included providing a formation for the ballast and track, new drainage systems, road bridges and the realignment of nine sections of highway.
The focus is now on handing over the last section of contract 430 through the centre of Ashford in December. This is one of the most complex parts of CTRL’s section one as it includes constructing 1.6 kilometres of cut and cover tunnels through west Ashford and a viaduct of a similar length over east Ashford. In total, contract 430 comprises 15.2 kilometres of the high speed route.