Firstco wins £1.1m order in BAA’s Heathrow Terminal 5 Programme

Firstco are excited to announce it has been awarded the contract worth an initial £1.1 million for the production design of the tunnel and control systems for the extension of the Heathrow Express train service into Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 due to open in the spring of 2008.

Working within BAA’s T5 Rail and Tunnels Communications Team, Firstco are providing their own team of 11 dedicated design engineers and support staff led by Firstco director, Mike Gray.

The team will deliver detailed production designs for PLC Networks (Tunnel Ventilation, Utilities, PA, Train Information Displays (TIDs), Fire, CCTV) SCADA (+ Control Room modifications) CCTV Security People Counting/ Voice Alarm Public Address (PA) & Voice Recording, Train Information Displays (LED Next Train Indicator and TFT Information Boards) & Clocks, Radio (Operational, Emergency Services, 2G & 3G) Telephones, Ticketing, Fibre Networks (OTN) Copper Networks. These will all be brought together on a single user interface together within the existing Heathrow Express Operating Company’s control room.

They will work closely with other teams involved in the terminal and rail tunnels construction as well as the Programme’s management and Heathrow Express.

The team’s designs will ensure continuity of the existing Heathrow Express passenger service between Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 1-4 and its successful extension into Terminal 5. The train service is viewed as an integral part of the successful completion and opening of the new terminal and Firstco are well aware of their responsibilities to BAA, Heathrow Express and the travelling public. Firstco have supported the control systems of the existing Heathrow Express operation through on-going design, project management and maintenance since it opened to the public in 1997.

Firstco are technical consultants specialising in control and communication systems in the transport and commercial office sectors.

For further details about this article or for more information regarding Firstco, please contact David Bligh, Marketing Manager, on 020 7034 0833, email dbligh@firstco.uk.com or go to www.firstco.uk.com