The latest rail projects around Australia

VICTORIA Inland Rail

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has engaged McConnell Dowell to complete the first phase of designs and early delivery activities for Inland Rail in Victoria.

The $16.4 million contract includes design and preparatory works at four sites on the existing North East Rail Line to enable Inland Rail double-stacked freight trains to run between Beveridge and Albury.

In Victoria, the project is expected to support hundreds of jobs, and provide an $8 billion boost in Gross State Product from construction and direct operation of the rail line.

McConnell Dowell will conduct site investigations to inform the preliminary and detailed designs for utilities, signaling, track slews and the update of rail structures at the Seymour-Avenel Road bridge in Seymour, Murray Valley Highway in Barnawartha North, Wangaratta Station Precinct, Wangaratta and Beaconsfield Parade precinct in Glenrowan.

ARTC Inland Rail Interim Chief Executive Rebecca Pickering said McConnell Dowell was chosen based on its experience delivering major projects including multi-million rail, bridges, railway stations and roads both in Australia and New Zealand, and globally.

Pickering said construction will start in the middle of this year , after all planning approvals have been received.

“McConnell Dowell and the main design subcontractor Aurecon will now oversee the detailed design of new bridges, train station modifications and track lowering at these initial sites in Victoria, while we await planning, heritage and environmental approvals,” she said.

“They will also be undertaking early delivery activities to get ready for construction, which includes minor civil works, overhead wiring and signal gantry installation for the sites.

“McConnell Dowell will now begin progressing detailed design for these sites in early 2022, which will include further consultation by ARTC with the community and stakeholders for the tranche one sites.

“ARTC will also continue to work through the heritage permit approval process for Glenrowan, before the community has the opportunity to make a submission through a consultation process conducted by Heritage Victoria.”

Pakenham Line

Three more dangerous and congested level crossings in Melbourne’s south-east are set to go – making the Pakenham Line completely level crossing free by 2025 – with a total of 22 level crossings being removed on the line.

The level crossings on Main Street, McGregor Road and Racecourse Road in Pakenham will all be gone for good by 2024 – with a new rail bridge built over the roads. Two new stations will also be developed at Pakenham and East Pakenham, along with 6 MCG’s worth of new open space for locals to enjoy.

A contract has now been signed to deliver the project – which will see thousands of motorists who pass through these level crossings everyday benefit from safer journeys and eased congestion.

An alliance comprising John Holland Group, Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) and the Level Crossing Removal Project will deliver the $844 million works that will allow more trains to run, more often.

Crews have already commenced early works in the area to pave the way for major construction to begin. Throughout the year, crews will begin working on gas, power, water and other utilities in the rail corridor and the arrival of piling rigs – including giant drills – on site. Early ground works on the new Pakenham and East Pakenham stations will start in late 2022, with both new stations to open to passengers in 2024.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto has called for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Western Australian manufacturers to build 100 rail cars for its Pilbara iron ore mining operations.

The EOI callout follows the miner’s announcement in September it would look for opportunities for WA suppliers to help grow the local rail car manufacturing industry and support local jobs.

Rio Tinto will initially purchase 50 rail cars from the successful supplier, followed by an ongoing commitment of 10 rail cars a year for the next five years. The EOI supports the vision of the WA Government’s iron ore rail car action group, which was formed to develop the state’s manufacturing capability, and of which Rio Tinto is a member.

The tender can be accessed through the Rio Tinto Buy Local portal, a resource dedicated to making local suppliers aware of opportunities to partner with Rio Tinto and be part of its supply chain.

NEW SOUTH WALES Western Sydney Airport

Major works are set to commence on the new Sydney Metro-Western Sydney Airport metro line after a $1.8 billion contract was awarded to CPB Contractors and Ghella to build the new twin metro rail tunnels.

The first of four mega tunnel boring machines will be in the ground by early 2023 to deliver 9.8 kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels in two sections, under the first major contract to be awarded as part of the project.

The driverless 23-kilometre metro line will link St Marys to the centre of the new Aerotropolis via the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, with six stations to be built along the alignment.

The 9.8 kilometres of twin rail tunnels will be delivered in two sections. The 4.3-kilometre northern tunnels run from St Marys to Orchard Hills and the 5.5-kilometre southern section of tunnels runs between the Airport Business Park and the Aerotropolis Station.

Apart from the twin tunnel, the Station Boxes and Tunnelling contract includes excavation and civil works for new stations at St Marys, Orchard Hills, Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, and Aerotropolis.

CPB Contractors and Ghella will build one of the two temporary precast concrete factories for the project on the Western Sydney International site, which will produce more than 67,000 concrete segments to line the twin tunnels. The teams will also build two TBM launch sites at Orchard Hills and Western Sydney International and two TBM retrieval sites at St Marys and Aerotropolis Station.

Once the tunnelling contract is complete in late 2024, work will continue to lay tracks and fit out stations.

CPB Contractors is already involved in the construction of the Western Sydney International Airport and the Sydney Metro City and Southwest project.