Atkins delivered three major design packages for the Gautrain in South Africa - the continent’s first high speed rail system. The 80 kilometres of railway link Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport. We carried out the preliminary design work in 2005 ahead of the start of construction in 2006.

Since then our teams have been responsible for permanent way and route alignment and delivered designs for 15km of underground tunnels, three underground stations and seven emergency shafts. Our innovative low carbon cooling system alleviated the need to air condition public spaces within the underground stations, representing a carbon emissions saving of 9,200 tonnes per annum. Atkins’ multidisciplinary approach helped us overcome the challenges presented by creating large underground station structures and tunnels and produce cost effective solutions for our client.

• Architecture
• Building services engineering
• Civil engineering
• Geotechnical engineering
• Project & programme management
• Signalling & telecoms
• Stations design & systems
• Tunnelling & underground space

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