Firstco plays a part in the London Crossrail project

Firstco, one of the UK’s leading technical consultancy, project management and systems integration specialists, has completed initial functional design specifications (FDS) to enable London Crossrail to submit its plans to the UK’s Parliament for approval.

Working in partnership with Mott MacDonald, the worldwide management, engineering and development consultancy which has been placed 11th in ‘The Sunday Times’ Top 20 Best Big Companies’, Firstco acted as specialist consultants for the controls and communications systems to be used in the stations and tunnels of the proposed cross-London rail link.

"Firstco is heavily involved in leading the extension of existing rail lines into a new, world-class integrated transport facility," said Firstco’s chairman, Mark Calnan.

This includes:
• Providing specialist input to the project leaders for controls and communication systems and systems engineering.
• Ensuring the systems requirements of the stakeholders (user, operator and maintainer) are fully understood.
• Helping to clarify the briefs to enable the sub-project teams to move forward with their definition and detailed designs.
• Assisting in interfaces with specialist client and supplier systems teams and the existing rail stakeholders (train operating companies: London Underground and Network Rail).

Crossrail is a new railway proposal for London and the South-East, which aims to deliver a world-class railway, with a frequent and reliable train service across the capital from 2015. The proposed route, from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west across the capital into Essex and Kent in the east, travels underground through the city centre between Paddington and east London.

"Crossrail should make travelling in the area easier and quicker, as well as reduce crowding on London’s transport network," Calnan, explained. "It will operate with main line size trains, carrying more than 1,500 passengers in each train.

"We’re now at phase two of the design process. This precedes the final decision on the project in Parliament, sometime in early 2008."

According to Transport for London, Crossrail will deliver substantial economic benefits in London and the South-East and across the UK. The estimated benefit of Crossrail to the UK economy is some £30 billion.

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Notes for Editors:

About Firstco

Established in 1998, Firstco is now a major force in the areas of technical consultancy, project management and systems integration. Working in a range of industries – notably transport, especially rail installations and airports; power and construction – Firstco specialises in controls and communication solutions for assignments of all sizes from buildings through to large scale infrastructure projects.

Firstco’s in-house team includes specialists in: electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, consulting, project management and commissioning management.

Through its core services of consultancy, system delivery and project management, Firstco provides its clients with a total solution - from concept to commissioning and maintenance, based on collaboration and integration with clients and partners.

Its mission is to advise, deliver and support high quality control and communications solutions that improve transport and workplace environments, create value for clients and make a positive difference to their end users.

Firstco’s approach is based on four core values:

• Service Excellence - achieving client confidence by truly understanding the business drivers and the project requirements, delivering the agreed solution to plan, managing issues and communicating clearly and regularly - while being easy to do business with and enjoyable to work with.
• Integrity - applying professional and technical expertise to ensure the right solution for the right reasons, as well as being open, honest and fair in all of its dealings.
• Teamwork - deploying the right blend of talent and experience to get the job done, and integrating effectively with client and third party personnel and activities.
• Development - continually seeking to enhance its own capabilities and processes, enabling it to remain innovative and challenging - and sharing this with its clients.

Firstco’s clients include: BAA Heathrow Airport Ltd; Esso Petroleum; Heathrow Express Operating Company; London Underground Ltd; Standard Life Assurance; Morgan Stanley; Arup Associates; Balfour Kilpatrick; Landis & Gyr; London Electricity Services, Mott MacDonald, Crown House and Transmanche Link.

Further information from:
David Bligh / Rupert Exham, Firstco, 0207 034 0833; www.firstco.uk.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405