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Press release

PORR to supply Slab Track Austria Technology for the state-of-the-art HS2 project

Vienna, 14.12.2020 – PORR received another recognition of its expertise with the award of a EUR 286m (GBP 260m) contract to supply slab track for the most significant infrastructure project in Great Britain in centuries.

Slab Track Austria technology has been used throughout Europe and Asia for high-speed, metro and rehabilitation projects.

© PORR

"We have proven worldwide that our Slab Track Austria product meets the highest requirements in railway construction. With our technology, we enable almost maintenance-free high speed railway operations. We are proud to be able to significantly contribute to improved mobility in the UK with our patent," said PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss.

The major railway project HS2 in Great Britain has selected Slab Track Austria technology which has been successfully implemented worldwide. The new railway line will initially run from London to the West Midlands with plans to extend further to Manchester and Leeds; meeting high standards with state-of-the-art technology for high speed transport to improve connectivity by linking eight of the UK’s ten largest cities.

In October 2020 it was announced that PORR secured the contract to supply 453 km of its slab track technology for this important infrastructure project, as part of a contract worth around EUR 286m (GBP 260m). PORR will be working with Aggregate Industries UK, a leading building material supplier in Great Britain, for the production of the precast panels will be supplied from a quarry not far from the slab track plant in Somerset. Together with Aggregate Industries, PORR can make optimal use of strategic synergies and, with its extensive slab track expertise, is the perfect partner for the infrastructure project.

At 360 km/h from London to Birmingham and Crewe

Once operational, HS2 will serve more than 25 stations and connect around 30 million people sustainably. Trains running on the high-speed tracks will operate at a speed of 360 km/h. The line between London and Birmingham will be built as part of Phase 1. Phase 2a will extend the high speed network from Birmingham to Crewe and then the planned Phase 2b route would extend to Manchester in the West and to Leeds in the East. Further travel north to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle would be enabled by the HS2 trains utilising the existing rail network.

PORR will provide professional services such as design and consulting, as well as produce and supply precast track slabs for construction of 338 km on earthworks and viaducts for Phase 1 and the Option of additional 115 km for Phase 2a as part of this contract starting in January 2021.

Slab Track Austria for future mobility

PORR developed its slab track technology in cooperation with ÖBB, Austrian Federal Railways, and implemented it for the first time in 1989. Since then, this technology has been used successfully in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Qatar. The technology meets all requirements in high-speed traffic: virtually maintenance-free rail operations, a high level of safety and minimal wear and tear on the trains. With this unique system, PORR offers an efficient solution to the growing demand for fast, reliable and sustainable mobility. PORR is currently using the future-proof technology in numerous international construction projects, including Stuttgart 21 Lot C in Germany, Koralmbahn in Austria, Barking Riverside in Great Britain and Melbourne Metro Tunnel in Australia.

Facts and figures at a glance

Type of project: Infrastructure, slab track
Scope of services: Supply of precast slab track design, consulting as well as production and supply of 453 km of precast track slab
Client: HS2 Ltd.
Contractor: PORR UK Ltd.
Project duration: January 2021 – April 2029
Contract value: GBP 260m (approx. EUR 286m)

 

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Jana Mašínová Press spokeswoman