9 December 2013
Architects sought to consider aesthetics of overhead line electrification
How can the design of gantries and cantilever structures be made more aesthetically
pleasing?
The rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team, which forms part of the FutureRailway
programme, has teamed up with HS2 to promote a competition through the Royal
Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The challenge – announced by RIBA Competitions today, and funded by Department
for Transport - is looking for ideas from around the world to improve the appearance
of overhead line electrification.
In addition to new-build dedicated high speed lines like HS2, the Rail Technical
Strategy includes a vision for an extensively electrified network which has reduced
reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources. Rail industry proposals for
CP5 and beyond include further electrification programmes.
David Clarke, Director of EIT said: ‘I’m delighted to be working with HS2 and RIBA
on this exciting competition. HS2 and increased electrification both support rail’s
need to efficiently accommodate more capacity.
This is an opportune moment,
ahead of HS2 being physically built, to look at the feasibility of improving the
aesthetics of overhead line electrification when creating new infrastructure.’
There are a number of challenges under the banner of Future Railway and you can
find out more about via the website: www.futurerailway.org/eit
-Ends-
For more information, including RIBA’s press release on this competition – go
to: www.ribacompetitions.com/ols
Media enquiries, please contact the RSSB press office, on
020 3142 5333 / 5332 / 5331 or email pressoffice@rssb.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1.
Please ensure RIBA Competitions is credited when mentioning the above competition. RIBA
Competitions delivers variety, inspiration and value through expertly run competitive selection
processes. For further details visit www.architecture.com/competitions
2.
More detail about the competition: Go to: www.ribacompetitions.com/ols The competition will
follow the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) process (see http://www.innovateuk.org/sbri for
more information) and development funding will be available for shortlisted designers. The competition
is open internationally to architects, engineers and designers. Team and multi-disciplinary entries are
encouraged. Concept designs submitted digitally are required for the initial application stage with up to
10 entries shortlisted. Shortlisted designers will then proceed to the first stage of the SBRI programme
and have up to £15,000 each available to fund the next stage of development of their scheme which will
include producing a scale model of their design.
3.
About EIT: The Enabling Innovation team is one of the delivery activities under the Future Railway
umbrella, on behalf of the cross-industry Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG). The team has
been set up by the rail industry to accelerate the uptake of innovation. Our mission is to offer support to
practical cross-industry demonstrator projects, but also seeking out innovative ideas and proposals from
across the industry. Our approach is to: understand the challenges that industry faces; connect potential
innovators with these challenges; and, where necessary with potential funding. The team is hosted by
RSSB, and reports into TSLG, and is supported by the Rail Delivery Group, RSSB’s Board as well as
the Department for Transport.
4.
About High Speed Rail
 The Government gave the go-ahead for a UK High Speed Rail network – called High Speed Two
(HS2) – on 10 January 2012.
 HS2 will be a Y-shaped rail network providing direct, high capacity, high speed links between London,
Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with proposed intermediate stations in the East Midlands (Toton)
and South Yorkshire (Sheffield Meadowhall). There will also be direct links to the Continent via the
High Speed 1 (HS1) line.
 HS2 will improve capacity across the rail network, shorten journey times between Britain’s major
population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.
 HS2 will be built in two phases. The line between London and the West Midlands and a connection to
High Speed 1 are expected to open in 2026 (HS2 Phase One), followed in 2032-33, by the onward
legs to Manchester and Leeds.
 The target price for delivering Phase One of HS2 is £17.16 billion pounds (2011 prices). This is the
base price of the latest estimate of the cost of Phase One, £15.6bn, plus a contingency allowance of
10%, and also takes into account the design and environmental changes to improve the scheme,
many of which were set out in the design refinement consultation that launched in May 2013
 Overall funding for Phase One has been set at £21.4 billion, including contingency of around £5.7bn. It
is expected that the level of contingency will reduce over time.
 Overall funding for Phase Two has been set at £21.2 billion, including contingency of £8.7bn which, as
with Phase One, it is expected to reduce over time.
 The total for the route is therefore £42.6 billion, including £14.4 billion of contingency.
 Rolling stock costs (the cost of the trains themselves) are currently estimated at £7.5bn, including
£1.7bn of contingency.
 Over the period of construction the cost of HS2 will be less than 0.15% of GDP.
5.
About HS2 Ltd and its role
 HS2 Ltd is the company responsible for developing and promoting the first phase of the high speed rail
network from London to the West Midlands. It is undertaking the engineering, design and
environmental work for this.
 Parliament will need to give permission to build and operate HS2 through a specific type of bill, called
a hybrid bill. The bill for the first phase of HS2 was deposited on 25 November. HS2 Ltd is responsible
for the work to enable the Department for Transport to deposit a hybrid bill with Parliament by the end
of 2013.
 In 2012, HS2 Ltd submitted proposals to the Secretary of State for the second part of the
network from the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester. The Government announced its
initial preferred route to Leeds and Manchester on 28 January 2013. The initial preferred route
for this second phase of the network is currently out for consultation. The consultation will close
on 31 January 2014. HS2 Ltd is a company wholly owned by the Department for Transport
(DfT).