London—Dentons has advised Hong Kong-based transport operator MTR Corporation (MTR) on all aspects of its successful bid to Transport for London for the £1.4 billion concession to operate Crossrail.

Transport for London announced on Friday 18 July 2014 that MTR had been awarded the concession and contracts were signed yesterday. The contract will be for eight years, with an option to extend to ten years, and will be the culmination of the £14.8 billion investment in a new railway for London. MTR will start running train services between Liverpool Street Station and Shenfield from 31 May 2015 with additional services to complete the Crossrail route from west to east across London to commence in phases up to 2019.

Matthew Hanslip Ward, partner and head of Dentons' Rail team, commented: "We are extremely pleased to be advising MTR on what is an exciting and transformational rail project for London."

The Dentons team was led by Matthew Hanslip Ward and included associates Jonathan Smith, Zara Skelton, Selena Strudwick, Rebecca Owen-Howes and Emma Frost.

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