TEN design contracts will initially be awarded by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp (KCRC) for the controversial $75 billion Western Corridor Railway, according to details given to the South China Morning Post yesterday.
The work covers preliminary engineering for tunnel and viaduct construction from the west Kowloon passenger terminal to border crossings at Lok Ma Chau and Lowu.
The Post understands a further 20 orders will be awarded to plan signalling, communications and control equipment, fare collection, mechanical and electrical services and rolling stock.
Bechtel, the giant American engineering firm which has done pre-project work for the KCRC, was unable to give details of the additional jobs.
The Western Corridor is the territory's biggest ever rail project, dwarfing construction of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) network.
Six of the 10 contracts involve the design of tunnels, viaducts and stations along the 53.8 km rail route.
Stations are proposed at Kam Tin, Lok Ma Chau, Yuen Long, Long Ping and Tin Shui Wai.