Gammon Construction, jointly owned by Skanska and Jardine Pacific, has won two tunnelling deals as part of a HK$4bn (US$512M) package of contracts from the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC).

The larger of the two jobs is a HK$640M order for the construction of cut and cover tunnels for a 1km long rail link between Tsim Sha Tsui East and Hung Hom stations.

Gammon, in joint venture with Nishimatsu, has also secured a HK$354M order for tunnelling work associated with the construction of a network of pedestrian walkways between the KCRC’s Tsim Sha Tsui East station and the existing Mass Transit Railway Tsim Sha Tsui station.

The other contracts involve the HK$1.56bn (US$200M) construction of Tsim Sha Tsui East station in joint venture with Nishimatsu Construction, and on the 11.4km Ma On Shan line, the HK$1.33bn (US$170M) Tai Wai depot.

The awards have been made as the KCRC is working on preliminary plans for two further rail tunnel projects.

Ove Arup & Partners is currently preparing an initial feasibility study on proposals to build a tunnel link between the West Rail and East Rail systems in Kowloon.

The connection would run from Nam Cheong station, the West Rail terminus, via Tsim Sha Tsui East to Hung Hom on the East Rail network.

Kenneth Leung Kwok-sun, KCRC director for new railway projects, said the study has to be completed in time for the rail corporation to submit a formal scheme to government by 16 July.

Tunnelling on the US$1bn scheme would be by tunnel boring machine or cut and cover.

Consultants are to be appointed for an engineering study for the US$1bn construction of a rail tunnel from the Kwai Chung container port to the East Rail network at Tai Wai.

Leung said it is hoped the rail link could be built by 2010.