RESTRICTED
046001 MDIAN 5794
ON THE BASIS OF A MOTT MACDONALD DESIGN WHICH INCLUDED A RAIL LINK, ANY DECISION TO DROP THE RAIL LINK ALTOGETHER WOULD MEAN PRESUMABLY A REQUIREMENT FOR A COMPLETELY NEW DESIGN. THIS WOULD BE LIKELY TO SET THE TIMETABLE FOR THE PROJECT BACK BY A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD. IF THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO DROP THE RAIL LINK, AND IF THIS RECOMMENDATION IS FOLLOWED, THEN THERE IS LIKELY TO BE ANOTHER WAVE OF ADVERSE COMMENT AND CONTROVERSY, BOTH FROM THOSE WHO WILL INSIST THAT A 21ST CENTURY AIRPORT MUST HAVE THE RAIL LINK AND FROM THOSE WHO WILL SAY THAT ANOTHER LATE CHANGE OF PLAN OF SUCH MAGNITUDE INDICATES A FAILURE OF PLANNING, IT WOULD BE OPEN, PRESUMABLY, TO THE GOVERNMENT TO SAY THAT A RAIL LINK COULD BE ADDED AT A LATER STAGE BY A DIFFERENT ROUTE E.G. A TUNNEL WESTWARDS FROM HONG KONG ISLAND: IF THE RAIL INK IS DROPPED THEN WE LOSE THE PROSPECT OF GEC ALSTROM SUPPLYING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND, THROUGH THEIR SUBSIDIARY METRO-CAMMEL, THE ROLLING STOCK, WHICH TO DATE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST PROSPECTS OF ALL FOR BRITISH SUPPLIERS.
THE BRIDGES.
4. THE DEADLINE FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION HAS NOW PASSED. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS QUOTING GOVERNMENT SOURCES, ELEVEN COMPANIES OR GROUPS HAVE SOUGHT TO PRE-QUALIFY. WE DO NOT KNOW WHO THESE ARE OTHER THAN ANGLO-JAPANESE CONSTRUCTION (AJC), THE BOUYGUES-LED GROUP AND THE ALL-JAPANESE GROUP. PRE-QUALIFICATION IS FOR BOTH BRIDGES FOR WHICH SEPARATE TENDERS WILL BE REQUIRED, SO IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME OF THE ELEVEN WILL BE PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN THE SMALL BRIDGE. SO FAR AS WE ARE AWARE AJC ARE THE ONLY BRITISH CONTENDER. IF THERE IS TO BE NO RAIL LINK THEN, ACCORDING TO AJC, THE COST OF THE MAIN BRIDGE WILL BE REDUCED BY SOME_40_PERCENT. AJC HERE ALSO SAY THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER IN DISCUSSION WITH HOPEWELL, LARGELY BECAUSE HOPEWELL ARE UNABLE TO DELIVER THEIR JAPANESE ASSOCIATES, IHI. AJC FOR THEIR PART ONLY HAVE MITSUI AS THEIR JAPANESE PARTNERS BUT SAY MITSUI NOW HAVE SHIMIZU WITH THEM.
AIRPORT PLATFORM.
5. THE PRE-QUALIFICATION NOTICE FOR THIS IS LIKELY TO BE ISSUED AT ANY MOMENT. IT WILL BE A CRITICAL ONE FOR AJC WHO WILL HAVE COSTAIN IN THE LEAD. FOR COSTAIN IT IS OF COURSE THEIR MAIN REASON FOR BEING IN THE GROUP.
HEAP
PAGE RESTRICTED
2