Essay Example on Construction of HS2 Curzon Street Station to Start April 2020

Introduction

The construction of the HS2 Curzon Street station project is expected to start on 1st April 2020 an end on 1st October 2021 with the control of the project managers and sponsors. The Birmingham city heads the project, and the city manager is the head of the project. The investment made is expected to bring benefits to the transportation sector within the city. The success of the project will depend on how the project manager controls the risks and handles the relationship with the other workers within the project. Through analysis of the project and its deliverables, the effects of the planning, creation of a relationship, and resource management are assessed to determine project success.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Project Budget

Estimated project budget: PS2.1 million

The budget was divided into material and labor sections. Materials utilized 60% of the total budget because of the size of the facility as compared to 40% labor budget cost.

Materials used in the project budget

• Floor materials PS400,000 for 10,000 flooring materials at an average prize of PS40 each
• Walls materials PS200,000 for 10,000 wall materials at an average price of PS20 each
• Ceiling and lighting materials PS400,000 for 20,000 ceiling and lighting materials at an average price of PS20 each
• Safety materials PS260,000 for 500 safety materials at an average rate of PS520 each
• Total material budget PS1.26 million

• Project managers PS100,000
• There is one project manager.
• Assistant project manager PS250,000
• Five associate project manager for the exercise. They are paid PS50,000.
• Supervisors Total PS90,000
• Three supervisors in the project each gaining PS30,000
• Workers PS400,000 for 40 workers, each receiving PS10,000
• Total labor cost PS840,000

Project Objectives

The project is aimed at increasing transportation activities in the city of Birmingham. The project involves the construction of a high-speed railway station and the creation of public space and gateway into the city through trains. Under the project, the city will be connected by providing space for the cyclist, taxis, buses, and pedestrians to connect with the high-speed trains. The speed of transportation to and from the city will improve due to the introduction of the train station.

Project Details

The construction will involve the development of seven high-speed platforms within the city and a taxi ramp used to connect with other areas of the town. The project will also include the installation of an IT system for ensuring the safety of the transport activities and easiness in booking the train tickets. Also, there will be the installation of a train control system used to control the incoming and exiting trains to the railway station. The project is found in a 141-hectare piece of land that was regenerated. The total space will cover the high-speed station and other investments surrounding the region. Generally, the project is expected to create 36,000 new jobs for the people within the area. Also, it will create 4,000 new homes to all the residents of the city along with the creation of commercial facilities in an allocated piece of land totaling up to 600,000 square meters.

Construction of the railway line will be easy because it will connect the Moor street station in one of the ends. Also, the project will connect the millennium point development to the northern side. Also, the Curzon Street station building will be on the north side of the project. On the southern side of the project, it will connect with the rugby railway line. The integration of the train with the other stations helps in connecting with the different means of transport used by people before reaching the station.

Project Work Breakdown Structure

Initial Market Research

• Gathering of required approvals
• Hire the contractors and fund the project purchases
• Establishment of plan and building profile
• Preparation of materials and reinforcements
• Creating a foundation on the floor
• Construction of the walls and planting trees and flowers
• Install internal wall framings and art
• Electric wiring and installation of an IT system
• Painting the walls
• Installing a new tracking system and surveillance system

Stakeholder Analysis

The railway project will involve different stakeholders such as individuals, customers, regulatory authorities, local funding bodies, supply chain companies, workers, national funders, and local government agencies. All the stakeholders assist the managers in achieving the set goals within a given period (Eskerod and Jepsen 2016). The individuals in the project include the passengers and neighbors to the railway station. All the individuals are outstanding because they provide the necessary resources to achieve the project goals. For instance, the passenger's influx will lead to returns generated from the project. Also, the neighbors provide a suitable environment for the development of the project leading to a higher level of success.

National funders are also relevant stakeholders in the project. They assist in providing funds to help in the completion of the project. Cooperation with the federal funders assists in creating a higher capital capability. The national donors also provide resources necessary to make the high-speed station an excellent facility by improving the technology used by increasing their funds. Also, the local funding bodes play a similar role because they assist in providing support to the project. They give the project with enough money to be completed on time because they would benefit from improved transportation to and from the city. Association with the local funders assist in accomplishing project goals because they provide the business with the appropriate capital to diversify the project to boost the economic activities of the city.

Customers are also other stakeholders involved in the group. Coordination with the customer's assists in improving project success because it helps in understanding what to be included. The customers also require the freight end users and the owning groups who can assist in determining the profitability of the project. Engaging the customers in the project will help in learning ways of maximizing transport and making movement within the city easy.

Workers are also part of the stakeholders in the project. The workers assist in completing the project on time. The workers are essential in the project's success because their engagement leads to the completion of the project following project goals. Currently, the project is expected to take one year and six months to be completed. The participation of the workers assists in providing quality work to make the project durable to service the people in the city in the future. The supply chain companies are also relevant stakeholders because they give the project with the necessary materials to be completed on time. Good relationships with the supply chain companies would make the project successful because it will get the materials needed to complete the day-to-day activities on time.

Regulatory authorities form a barrier to achieving a higher level of success. The body's regulations may affect the completion of the project on time because of restrictions in specific engineering practices in the city. The regulatory measures may also affect the project timing because of the time required to establish such a project ethically without violation of construction requirements and waiting time. Also, the local government agencies may prevent the progress of the project at specific times. In situations where there are holidays and occasions within the city, the project may be barred from proceeding. Therefore, cooperation with the local government agencies assists in completing the project on time.

Risk Management

1. Crushing of equipment

Inspecting the high-speed railway station facility daily.

Training of the workers on handling failure of equipment

2. delay in equipment delivery

Ordering the materials used in the project one month before starting the project.

3. inferior quality materials leading to Breakage

Training staff members on ways of handling the equipment. Improving communication to help in reporting all damages and poor quality sources of materials

4. Slips and fallings in the working station

Spacing the workers in the workstations and removing materials from general paths.

5. Injuries related to falls within the project

Removal of barriers within the project.

6. noise and air pollution

The machines used should use electricity to minimize the noise and emissions when the project is underway.

Noise pollution in the construction sites is minimized by working within set schedules to reduce the effects of the noise.

7. Electrical shocks

The wires should not be exposed, and all switches are expected to be off.

8. Regular workers diseases

Setting up a medical center within the facility.

Part 2

Project Planning and Control

Jonasson and Ingason (2009) note project management highly depends on relationship management, interpersonal conflicts, strategic alignment, and resource management. Also, the research highlights project planning and control, resource management, and relationship management as key factors affecting project success (Ingason and Jonasson 2009, p. 60). According to Khan, Saher, and Yunis (2019), planning and control processes in a project assist in accomplishing better outcomes within the project in the long-run period. Good planning initiatives in the project support the mangers in controlling their vital resources (Khan et al., 2019, p. 317). For instance, planning helps in keeping the project in line with its milestones. The milestones are essential when planning because they help in monitoring the progress of the project. Also, planning assists in providing an opportunity to reevaluate all the project deadlines and the deliverables expected in the project (Joslin and Muller 2016, p. 615). The project scope is known, and ways of handling the critical activities within the project to achieve the set goals are made through appropriate planning procedures. A good plan helps in benchmarking the progress of a project. For instance, it compared the original aims of the project and the progress made in the project to establish whether the requirements and timeline are met. Most plans within a project fail, but creating an initial plan assists in maintaining a smooth process of transition to achieve a better idea. A proper plan ensures that the main goals within the project are delivered successfully.

Project control assists in project success because it helps in engaging the stakeholders. When a project is controlled appropriately, the investors feel comfortable to invest more capital in the project. Also, proper planning assists in engaging the stakeholders because they are provided with an appropriate plan of how most activities are handled, leading to higher investor confidence (Kivila, Martinsuo, and Vuorinen 2017, p. 1170). The overall project budget is easily known when a plan is set within the organization. Without an appropriate plan and control measures, the stakeholders feel disoriented and fail to identify areas of improvement within a project and regions where they are needed to assist in helping the project grow.

Relationship Management

Relationship management is an essential area in attaining project success because it assists in improving the communication...