
AECOM to enhance mobility across the Greater Bay Area by delivering the Hong Kong Section of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai)
"We're proud to support Highways Department as it expands its world-class railway network for greater regional mobility," said Mark Southwell, chief executive of AECOM's global Transportation business. "Our teams have delivered some of Hong Kong's most transformative railway projects, and we look forward to applying our expertise as the world's top rail and mass transit firm to realize this complex infrastructure initiative."
HSWRL will contribute to a more sustainable urban environment while fostering economic integration, cultural exchange, improved accessibility across the region, and facilitating Hong Kong's better integration into the national development. A trip from Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai will only take approximately 15 minutes — an improvement that supports the development of a "one-hour living circle" in the Greater Bay Area and facilitates cross-boundary commuting.
"This award reflects the global experience, Mainland-Hong Kong cross-border expertise and deep sector knowledge that our integrated team brings to complex infrastructure projects," said Ian Chung, chief executive of AECOM's Asia region. "Having worked extensively on key projects in the region, we are honored to collaborate with the HKSAR Government on this vital cross-boundary link. By combining our technical excellence with a proven track record, we remain committed to achieving the highest standards of service for our clients."
The consultancy agreement covers investigation, design and construction for the approximately 7.3-kilometer Hong Kong Section of the HSWRL, which will connect Hung Shui Kiu to the boundary with Shenzhen. The full railway will span around 18.1 kilometers, including 10.8 kilometers in Shenzhen, comprehensively integrating metro networks across the western regions of both cities. To maximize efficiency, transparency and quality, the project will adopt a single Common Data Environment (CDE) and a unified Building Information Modeling (BIM) platform across all project stages, supporting collaboration and cost-effective, timely outcomes.
The project is among the strategic transport initiatives highlighted in Hong Kong's 2023 Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint. AECOM contributed to the development of this long-term vision through its involvement in the Strategic Studies on Railways and Major Roads beyond 2030, helping to shape the region's future transport network and advancing greater integration within the Greater Bay Area. In addition to this strategic support, AECOM has delivered numerous high-profile railway projects across Hong Kong, including Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, Shatin to Central Link and Tuen Mun South Extension.
Hashtag: #AECOM #HongKongShenzhenWestRailLink #HSWRL #NorthernMetropolis #Transportation
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
AECOM
AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients' complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of US$16.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Learn more at aecom.com.
AECOM
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Less selection, More prices
With summer in full swing in the United States, retail executives are sweating a different season. It's less than 22 weeks before Christmas, a time when businesses that make and sell consumer goods usually nail down their holiday orders and prices. But President Donald Trump's vacillating trade policies have complicated those end-of-year plans. Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees and other decorations online, expects to publish fewer and thinner holiday catalogs because the featured products keep changing with the tariff rates the president sets, postpones and revises. 'The uncertainty has led us to spend all our time trying to rejigger what we're ordering, where we're bringing it in, when it's going to get here,' Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Hill parent company Balsam Brands, said. 'We don't know which items we're going to have to put in the catalog or not.' Months of confusion over which foreign countries' goods may become more expensive to import has left a question mark over the holiday shopping season. US retailers often begin planning for the winter holidays in January and typically finalize the bulk of their orders by the end of June. The seesawing tariffs already have factored into their calculations. The consequences for consumers? Stores may not have the specific gift items customers want come November and December. Some retail suppliers and buyers scaled back their holiday lines rather than risking a hefty tax bill or expensive imports going unsold. Businesses still are setting prices but say shoppers can expect many things to cost more, though by how much depends partly on whether Trump's latest round of 'reciprocal' tariffs kicks in next month. The lack of clarity has been especially disruptive for the US toy industry, which sources nearly 80% of its products from China. American toy makers usually ramp up production in April, a process delayed until late May this year after the president put a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, according to Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of the Toy Association, an industry trade group. The US tariff rate may have dropped significantly from its spring high - a truce in the US-China trade war is set to expire on Aug. 12 - but continues to shape the forthcoming holiday period. Manufacturing activity is way down from a year ago for small- and medium-sized US toy companies, Ahearn said. The late start to factory work in China means holiday toys are only now arriving at US warehouses, industry experts said. A big unknown is whether tariffs will keep stores from replenishing supplies of any breakout hit toys that emerge in September, said James Zahn, editor-in-chief of the trade publication Toy Book. In the retail world, planning for Christmas in July usually involves mapping out seasonal marketing and promotion strategies. Dean Smith, who co-owns independent toy stores JaZams in Princeton, New Jersey, and Lahaska, Pennsylvania, said he recently spent an hour and a half running through pricing scenarios with a Canadian distributor because the wholesale cost of some products increased by 20%. Increasing his own prices that much might turn off customers, Smith said, so he explored ways to 'maintain a reasonable margin without raising prices beyond what consumers would accept.' He ordered a lower cost Crazy Forts building set so he would have the toy on hand and left out the kids' edition of the Anomia card game because he didn't think customers would pay what he would have to charge. 'In the end, I had to eliminate half of the products that I normally buy,' Smith said. Hilary Key, owner of The Toy Chest in Nashville, Indiana, said she tries to get new games and toys in early most years to see which ones she should stock up on for the winter holidays. This year, she abandoned her product testing for fear any delayed orders would incur high import taxes. Meanwhile, vendors of toys made in China and elsewhere bombarded Key with price increase notices. For example, Schylling, which makes Needoh, Care Bear collectibles and modern versions of nostalgic toys like My Little Pony, increased prices on orders by 20%, according to Key. All the price hikes are subject to change if the tariff situation changes again. Key worries her store won't have as compelling a product assortment as she prides herself on carrying. 'My concern is not that I'll have nothing, because I can bring in more books. I can bring in more gifts, or I can bring in just things that are manufactured in other places,' she said. 'But that doesn't mean I'm going to have the best stock for every developmental age, for every special need.' The retail industry may have to keep taking a whack-a-mole approach to navigating the White House's latest tariff ultimatums and temporary reprieves. Last week, the president again reset the rates on imports from Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and other major trading partners but said they would not take effect until Aug. 1. The brief pause should extend the window importers have to bring in seasonal merchandise at the current baseline tariff of 10%. The Port of Los Angeles had the busiest June in its 117-year history after companies raced to secure holiday shipments, and July imports look strong so far, according to Gene Seroka, the port's executive director. 'In my view, we're seeing a peak season push right now to bring in goods ahead of potentially higher tariffs later this summer,' Seroka said Monday. The pace of port activity so far this year reflects a 'tariff whipsaw effect' - imports slowing when tariffs kick in and rebounding when they're paused, he said. 'For us consumers, lower inventory levels, fewer selections and higher prices are likely as we head into the holidays.' Smith, who co-owns the two JaZams stores with his partner, Joanne Farrugia, said they started placing holiday orders two months earlier than usual for 'certain items that we felt were essential for us to have at particular pricing.' They doubled their warehouse space to store the stockpile. But some shoppers are trying to get ahead of higher prices just like businesses are, he said. He's noticed customers snapping up items that will likely be popular during the holidays, like Jellycat plush toys and large stuffed unicorns and dogs. Any sales are welcome, but Smith and Farrugia are wary of having to restock at a higher cost. 'We're just trying to be as friendly as we can to the consumer and still have a product portfolio or profile that is gonna meet the needs of all of our various customers, which is getting more and more challenging by the day,' Smith said. Balsam Brands' Harman said he's had to resign himself to not having as robust a selection of ornaments and frosted trees to sell as in years' past. Soon, it will be too late to import meaningful additions to his range of products. 'Our purpose as a company is to create joy together, and we're going to do our very best to do that this year,' Harman said. 'We're just not going to have a bunch of the items that consumers want this year, and that's not a position we want to be in.' Associated Press


Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Ministry of Education launches 2025 Summer Abroad Programme
The programme offers students high-level training and educational experiences at leading global universities and research institutions United Arab Emirates: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched the 2025 Summer Abroad Programme, sending 270 top Grade 10 and 11 public school students to leading global universities and research institutions. The initiative supports MoE's vision to equip future generations with the knowledge and skills to contribute to national development, as well as to enrich students' academic journeys by enabling them to access prestigious institutions. Held in July and August, the programme offers students high-level global training and educational experiences to broaden their horizons, enhance their academic and personal skills and deepen their understanding of innovation in fields such as AI, leadership and entrepreneurship. It also helps them make informed career choices, build global knowledge networks and develop the long-term skills needed to excel in education and innovation. Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said: 'The Summer Abroad program offers students hands-on training at top international scientific institutes, fostering academic growth, personal development, and broader cultural and scientific perspectives.' The 2025 Summer Abroad Programme includes field visits and specialised training in six top innovation hubs – Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and Malaysia. Students are supported by 29 trained academic supervisors, with this year's edition of the programme also welcoming students of determination from Japan and South Korea. For further information, please contact:


Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump job cuts: US space agency Nasa to lose nearly 4,000 employees, 20% of workforce
The US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce — at the same time as the president prioritises plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, Nasa said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation programme, which closed late Friday. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000 — a more than 20 per cent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation programme will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. "Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars," the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed Nasa budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and centre, slashing science and climate programs. The White House says it wants to focus on "beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars." China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US program, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays. Nasa is still run by an acting administrator after the administration's initial pick to lead the agency, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman — endorsed by former Trump advisor Elon Musk — was ultimately rejected by the Republican president.