Mott MacDonald's track record in rail dates back to the early 1900s with the construction of the City and South London Railway. We now provide rail engineering consultancy and advisory services through teams based in over 35 offices globally.
Our team of professionals provides cost-effective and innovative engineering solutions for the North American rail and transit industry with unprecedented success. We have earned an outstanding reputation with our clients as we offer a full range of services to handle any size project — from a small improvement initiative to a major multibillion-dollar expansion program.
We understand the business of moving goods and people. From overall program management, to planning, design, visualization, systems integration, or rail activation, we are committed to help our clients realize their goals successfully.
A history of landmark projects
Mott MacDonald has planned, designed, and managed some of the most visible rail and transit projects in North America and worldwide. Our Transit portfolio includes Sound Transit’s Airport Link and New York’s East Side Access. Our Freight Railroad portfolio includes Norfolk Southern’s award-winning Heartland Corridor and Canadian Pacific Railway’s Western Capacity Project (done by HMM, a joint venture of Mott MacDonald and Hatch).
Mott MacDonald offers extensive multidisciplinary expertise and a thorough understanding of the complex issues typical of projects with a variety of stakeholders.
Our technical services deliver a broad range of solutions for railway operations and span all phases of project development, from feasibility studies and surveys through preliminary and detailed design, scheduling, cost estimating, contract administration, bid preparation and evaluation, to program/project and construction management, including startup and commissioning.
We have experts in railway systems, rolling stock, rail operations, asset management and infrastructure upgrade and renewal. Many of these have worked for infrastructure controllers, operators, manufacturers, or contractors. We understand the vital need for robust systems integration and assurance and are able to address these.
We also specialize in applying advanced simulation techniques – using software designed in-house through our research and development program – to develop solutions relating to passenger movement and fire and smoke behavior, underground ventilation, train aerodynamics and traction power optimization.
Our project portfolio
Our project portfolio spans all forms of rail transport. A brief cross-section includes:
- High speed. A key role in the UK’s HS2 route, advising on High Speed Rail in California, feasibility study for the high speed network in India, the UK’s Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Taiwan high speed rail, and schemes in Italy, Holland, and Belgium for speeds up to 350 kph
- Freight rail. New heavy haul lines, including ports and associated infrastructure, in South Africa (Transnet) and Mozambique, the Dedicated Freight Corridor in India, the Trans European Network System in Hungary and Poland.
- Interurban and regional rail. Capacity and line speed improvement studies such as Northern Hub and Midland Mainline in the UK, advising government on new rolling stock, station redevelopment, and signaling systems
- Metro systems. Crossrail, London, London Underground including Jubilee Line Extension, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung metro, Baku, Los Angeles metro, Delhi metro, Warsaw metro, and Beijing metro
- Light rapid transit (including monorail). Numerous projects in the UK, USA, India and Malaysia, in cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Oslo, San Jose, and Tampa