Bechtel: We Build Rail

Journey across the world with us and visit six spectacular rail projects that transform communities and represent amazing feats of engineering and brilliant career opportunities. #webuildrail

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51'30'30" N0' 07' 32" W

Crossrail London

Europe's largest civil engineering project will bring a 100-plus kilometre-long high frequency rail service to 38 stations, linking Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east via 21km of new twin-bore tunnels under London. The '14.8 billion Crossrail service will carry 200 million passengers a year, providing a 10% increase to London's train capacity, reducing journey times, and generating an anticipated '42 billion for the economy.

Crossrail London

Europe's largest civil engineering project will bring a 100-plus kilometre-long high frequency rail service to 38 stations, linking Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east via 21km of new twin-bore tunnels under London. The '14.8 billion Crossrail service will carry 200 million passengers a year, providing a 10% increase to London's train capacity, reducing journey times, and generating an anticipated '42 billion for the economy.

Crossrail London

Crossrail will carry more than 200,000 passengers daily during the morning rush period, reducing congestion by 20%-60% on many train lines.

An estimated 14,000 jobs will be created during peak construction, while 1000 further operation and maintenance roles will be needed to service the completed railway.

8,000,000 m3 of material will be excavated during construction, some of which will be used to create a wildlife reserve at Wallasea Island ' the largest coastal habitat creation scheme in the UK.

Crossrail is London's first new underground line in more than 30 years and the only rail project in the UK to boast 8 tunnel boring machines.

24' 41' 21 N46' 41' 14 E

RIYADH METRO

Featuring approximately 176km of train lines and more than 80 stations, this US$22 billion new metro network will be the backbone of Riyadh's public transport infrastructure when it opens in 2019. A projected population increase combined with a desire to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality triggered demand for this six-line rail system that will connect the city centre with King Khalid International Airport, universities and a new financial district.

RIYADH METRO

Featuring approximately 176km of train lines and more than 80 stations, this US$22 billion new metro network will be the backbone of Riyadh's public transport infrastructure when it opens in 2019. A projected population increase combined with a desire to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality triggered demand for this six-line rail system that will connect the city centre with King Khalid International Airport, universities and a new financial district.

RIYADH METRO

During construction, this will be the world's largest public metro transport project.

40% of the station canopies will use solar panels to generate energy.

Riyadh Metro will be a major source of employment - tens of thousands of workers will be needed to construct this rail megaproject.

Line 1 will span 38km, from the north to the south of Riyadh's city centre, and will include the iconic King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

37'58'29"N23' 42' 59" E

ATHENS METRO

With Athens facing gridlocked traffic and deteriorating air quality, the Greek Government opted in 1991 to have a new metro built to help alleviate the problem. The initial metro connected with the existing Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway and was followed over the next decade or so by a number of extensions. Some of these additional lines were critical infrastructure for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The sites' close proximity to dense city buildings and busy roads coupled with painstaking archaeological investigations made for challenging engineering work.

ATHENS METRO

With Athens facing gridlocked traffic and deteriorating air quality, the Greek Government opted in 1991 to have a new metro built to help alleviate the problem. The initial metro connected with the existing Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway and was followed over the next decade or so by a number of extensions. Some of these additional lines were critical infrastructure for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The sites' close proximity to dense city buildings and busy roads coupled with painstaking archaeological investigations made for challenging engineering work.

ATHENS METRO

Tunnels were constructed at depth of 20m to minimise the impact on ancient remains. Many of the artefacts discovered are on display in the station ticket halls.

The work enabled Athens' largest ever archaeological excavation, with client Attiko Metro Company financing the investigation that spanned 69,000m2.

When the Stavros Extension was constructed in the early 2000s, the 9.15m-diameter tunnel boring machine ' required to build two rail tracks within one tunnel ' was the fifth largest ever to be manufactured.

When the original new metro line was being constructed, 450,000 passengers a day were forecast to travel on it. Today, an estimated million passengers use the whole Athens subway system.

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CHANNEL TUNNEL AND HIGH SPEED 1

The world's longest international tunnel, the Channel Tunnel, is a 50km span of twin bore tunnel lying 40m below the English Channel seabed. More than 300 million passengers have journeyed the '12 billion Chunnel since it opened in 1994. The UK's first High Speed railway, High Speed 1, connects passengers, including those from iconic St Pancras International Station, with the Channel Tunnel at 300kmph. Combined, the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 provide a vital connection between Britain and France. Both projects were also a valuable source of employment, together generating tens of thousands of jobs during construction.

CHANNEL TUNNEL AND HIGH SPEED 1

The world's longest international tunnel, the Channel Tunnel, is a 50km span of twin bore tunnel lying 40m below the English Channel seabed. More than 300 million passengers have journeyed the '12 billion Chunnel since it opened in 1994. The UK's first High Speed railway, High Speed 1, connects passengers, including those from iconic St Pancras International Station, with the Channel Tunnel at 300kmph. Combined, the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 provide a vital connection between Britain and France. Both projects were also a valuable source of employment, together generating tens of thousands of jobs during construction.

CHANNEL TUNNEL AND HIGH SPEED 1

The Channel Tunnel is the world's longest undersea tunnel, with 38km lying beneath the English Channel.

The American Society of Civil Engineers named the Channel Tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

High Speed 1 was the first new British railway in a century when it opened in 2007.

High Speed 1's 1.2km Medway Viaduct is the longest high-speed rail viaduct in Europe. The span is so long that the roadbed had to be constructed in 24 pieces.

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WEST RAIL

Designed to carry 500,000 passengers a day between the booming new towns of the North West New Territories and West Kowloon, the 30.5km West Rail line was the first major expansion of Hong Kong's Kowloon ' Canton Railway since the original East Rail line was brought into service.

WEST RAIL

Designed to carry 500,000 passengers a day between the booming new towns of the North West New Territories and West Kowloon, the 30.5km West Rail line was the first major expansion of Hong Kong's Kowloon ' Canton Railway since the original East Rail line was brought into service.

WEST RAIL

This project deployed the largest tunnel boring machine that had ever been used in Hong Kong. It was the first time that a tunnel boring machine had been used in mixed ground conditions in Hong Kong.

This is home to Hong Kong's longest transport tunnel ' a 5.5km bored rock tunnel beneath the mountainous Tai Lam Country Park.

West Rail was the largest stand-alone infrastructure project ever undertaken in Hong Kong when construction commenced in the late 1990s.

This was the first Hong Kong train line to employ regenerative braking systems on the rolling stock in order to reduce operational energy use.

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DULLES CORRIDOR METRORAIL

The largest rail project in the US of the time, the first phase of the Silver Line provides a new, high capacity connection for millions of tourists, business visitors and commuters between the existing metro line from Washington DC into the business hubs of Tysons Corner and Reston, Virginia. Featuring aerial, underground, at-grade track work and five stations, the US$2.9 billion, 18.7km Phase 1 train line is anticipated to spark transit-oriented residential and commercial development along its expanse.

DULLES CORRIDOR METRORAIL

The largest rail project in the US of the time, the first phase of the Silver Line provides a new, high capacity connection for millions of tourists, business visitors and commuters between the existing metro line from Washington DC into the business hubs of Tysons Corner and Reston, Virginia. Featuring aerial, underground, at-grade track work and five stations, the US$2.9 billion, 18.7km Phase 1 train line is anticipated to spark transit-oriented residential and commercial development along its expanse.

DULLES CORRIDOR METRORAIL

One 732m-long tunnel was created using two excavation methods ' 518m were mined with the New Austrian Tunnel Method, while the tail ends were built with the 'cut and cover' method.

The Silver Line will ultimately provide a direct connection between Washington DC and Washington Dulles International Airport ' an alternative to the area's congested roads.

9.6km of aerial guideway was constructed, reaching 16.7m high and comprising 2769 precast concrete segments, each weighing 25-40 tons.

142,916m3 of concrete and 1638 tons of steel were used in construction.