Kier has been awarded a £125m tunnelling contract by the MTR Corporation as part of a three-way joint venture in which Kier holds a 50% share.
Kaden Construction (Hong Kong) and Spanish contractor Obras Subterraneas SA (OSSA) are Kier’s JV partners.
The project is part of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link connecting mainland China and Hong Kong.
Work involves the sinking of two deep shafts and two 2.6km long, 7.5m wide railway tunnels which will be constructed by drilling and blasting through hard rock.
The construction team will start work immediately and completion is scheduled for May 2015.
Laing O’Rourke was awarded a £100m contract with Bachy Soletanche in June by MTR for underground construction of a section of the approach tunnels for the station complex in West Kowloon.
Kier Group chief executive Paul Sheffield said: “This latest contract follows our decision to strengthen our presence in the area and we are hopeful that further awards will follow.”