In order to meet tight timescales and develop a route which is acceptable to the broad constituency of stakeholders, Chiltern has assembled a project team with the following wide ranging experience in their respective fields:

Chiltern Railways - operational and development track record

Chiltern Railways operate services from London Marylebone to Aylesbury, and to Bicester, Birmingham, Kidderminster and Stratford upon Avon. The company gained an initial franchise upon railway privatisation in 1996 and in 2002 was granted a unique 20-year franchise. Chiltern is now owned by Deutsche Bahn - Germany's highly-acclaimed national railway.

Chiltern has built up a reputation for punctuality and customer service, and has consistently been one of top performing rail operators in the UK. Punctuality currently stands at 95.73%, and passenger satisfaction at 90%.

The Chiltern franchise requires the company to fund a major works along the route. Over the past decade Chiltern has financed and undertaken a wide range of infrastructure projects. These include:

• Project Evergreen 1: Track doubling between Princes Risborough and Banbury, at a cost of £66m
• Project Evergreen 2: Line capacity enhancement between London and Bicester, including additional signalling and a 50% increase in the number of platforms at London Marylebone station, at a cost of £70m
• New multi-modal interchange stations at Warwick Parkway and Aylesbury Vale Parkway
• Platform extensions at several stations, to allow operation of longer trains, and lifts to give level access to platforms.
• Rebuilding and expansion of Birmingham Moor Street station, including restoration of derelict grade 2-listed buildings

New train maintenance depot at Wembley and expansion of Aylesbury depot management and engineering team. They work closely with Network Rail and local stakeholders and have established a track record for delivering projects on-time, on budget, and with the least possible disruption to both rail users and local residents.

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) - environmental impacts and stakeholder consultation

ERM is one of the world's leading providers of sustainability consulting services, with considerable experience of working with clients in the transport sector both in the UK and internationally. ERM's strategic services cover all phases of the project life cycle from feasibility and planning to implementation, assurance and regeneration. ERM's success is built on providing an effective and responsive service, building strong corporate and personal relationships with our clients, team working - both with ERM and with others - excellent communications skills and a focus on quality. Transport projects include:

• EIA of DLR Stratford International Extension - TWA approved and under construction
• EIA of Nottingham Express Transit, Lines 2 and 3
• EIA and public enquiry of Midland Metro Birmingham City Centre Extension
• EIA and public enquiry of South Hampshire Rapid Transport
• Operational and risk management assignments for the Crossrail project
• Climate change advice and Assurance in the run up to the launch of Eurostar's carbon neutral passenger service
• Environmental Management System for the Waverley Railway which will run along a 48km route from the outskirts of Edinburgh. The project was five years in the planning and ERM's role covered design, construction, commissioning and operation.

Ardent - land management

Ardent is a firm of Chartered Surveyors and Land Referencing Consultants, specialising in the promotion and implementation of Transport and Works Act (TWA) Orders. With over 13 years of experience in the transport sector and the successful promotion and implementation of many TWA schemes under our belt, we offer the skills necessary to lead major transport infrastructure projects through promotion, public inquiry and ultimately to their successful delivery.

Our team has a very strong track record in effective consultation, welcomed by promoters, affected parties and the public, which has been developed over many years of major project promotion, implementation and ongoing operation of schemes. This experience is of benefit to concerned consultees as it is to the promoter.

Ardent has advised Docklands Light Railway in relation to all of its railway extensions and upgrades since 1996 and has advised promoters in relations to schemes such as the Nottingham Tram (NET), Merseytram, Felixstowe Branchline capacity enhancement, Thames Gateway Bridge, London Cross River Tram and many other major projects throughout the UK. Our staff also have detailed first hand experience of working on the national railway system and the issues involved with the Evergreen 3 project.

Eversheds - TWA legal specialists

Eversheds is a national and international legal firm with 42 offices across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Eversheds' Rail Team is a leading specialist rail team which has worked with a wide range of rail and other transport bodies on a considerable number of TWA projects. In 2008, the firm was joined by the former Rees & Freres Parliamentary Team, which specialises in promoting railway infrastructure projects.

Examples of the firm's TWA-related experience include:

• West Coast Main Line Modernisation Project - Acting in the promotion of two TWA Orders, The Network Rail (West Coast Main Line) Order 2003 and The Network Rail (West Coast Main Line) Order 2004 and related planning, listed building and other consents to upgrade the West Cost Main Line from Euston to the Scottish border. Both Orders have been made by the Secretary of State and the project has now been constructed.
• Thameslink 2000 - Acting in the promotion of three TWA Orders and related consents (including advising on all ancillary issues) to implement the Thameslink 2000 project (value over £1bn). The Orders were made and implementation of the project has begun. The third TWA Order was the fastest TWA promotion to date involving a public inquiry.
• Docklands Light Railway Upgrade Project - Acting in the promotion of two TWA Orders, The Docklands Light Railway (Capacity Enhancement) Order 2005 and The Docklands Light Railway (Capacity Enhancement and 2012 Games Preparation) Order 2007 and related planning, listed building and other consents.
• Euston Remodelling Project - Acting in appeal proceedings to the Secretary of State under section 195 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 relating to the Euston remodelling project, the most recent and leading case on permitted development rights of railway undertakers. The successful outcome of that case enabled a substantial amount of the work comprised in the West Coast route Modernisation Project to be undertaken in reliance on permitted development rights.
• Luton Dunstable Translink Order - Acting in the promotion of a TWA Order and related consents to authorise a substantial guided busway system in and around Luton Bedfordshire. The Order has been made by the Secretary of State.

PFA Consulting - Transportation Planners and Engineers

PFA Consulting is a multi-disciplinary consultancy providing a highly professional service to the planning, development and construction industry.

We specialise in the provision of transport planning, highway and infrastructure engineering, drainage, flood risk and health & safety matters. Our services range from initial appraisals and feasibility studies through to detailed design, construction and supervision of projects.

The provision of transport planning services is a core activity of PFA Consulting. Expert professional services and advice are provided on all transport planning matters including; policy appraisal, vehicular and non-vehicular access, accessibility assessment, trip generation, parking, public transport, transport modelling and safety auditing.

A fundamental and key aspect of PFA Consulting is that our senior staff are experienced and qualified in not only transport planning but also highway and infrastructure engineering design and construction and we pride ourselves in that we offer clients practical and cost effective solutions that can be implemented.

Similar transport projects include;

• Advising Network Rail on highway issues relating to proposed developments
• Impact assessment of proposed major development on Wandsworth Rail Station
• Advising Huntingdonshire District Council on highway issues of proposed rail connected freight development on the former Alconbury Airfield
• Rapid Transit Park & Ride Facility, Bradley Stoke, Bristol
• Engineering design of Park & Ride site, Fosseway, Bath