Atkins, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin has won an 8 years consulting contractfor the 18km Fehmarn link between Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn. Danish planning company Femern’s contract with Atkins will last a minimum of eight years, and can be extended. The project will be the world’s longest road and rail immersed tunnel, that is, one constructed by digging a trench rather than boring a shaft when completed in 2028.
The project will include a two electrified dual-track line rail tracks and a four-lane motorway. Currently, it takes an hour to travel between the countries by ferry. However, on completion, trains will travel up to 200 km/h on the line, with journeys taking seven minutes.
Atkins is responsible to work on the tracks, power supply, train control, overhead catenary system, signalling and telecoms. The consulting company will combine skills with German engineer Gauff which is in charge of the German elements of the project.
The €4.7bn development was given the green light by Danish parliament in March 2019. It was awarded €200m in funding by the European Investment Bank in May 2019, but in June the EU said it had commenced an in-depth investigation into whether the project’s financing model had breached EU state-aid rules.
