London Olympic Site Awards Balfour Rail Contract

UK-based rail construction company Balfour Beatty Rail Projects has been awarded a contract to work on a rail project linking commuters to the new Olympic Park site in London.

The contract, awarded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), is for the design and construction of 12 new railway sidings at Orient Way, near the north-west boundary of the Olympic Park.

The new sidings, which cover an area equivalent to three full-size football pitches, will be used for the stabling of trains close to Liverpool Street Station between the morning and evening peak commuting hours.

The ODA says construction of the new sidings will allow an existing set of sidings at Thornton's Field in the heart of the Olympic Park to be removed in Summer 2008, providing access for the construction of venues in preparation for the Games in 2012.

Work is due to be completed by summer 2008.

By Ozge Ibrahim