MELBOURNE’s Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) has awarded a $A 6.7bn ($US 4.43bn) contract to the Linewide Alliance consortium to fit out and operate the first phase of the $A 125bn project. The four-section, 90km orbital automated line is Australia’s largest transport scheme.
Civils work is already underway on SRL East, the initial 26km section in twin-bore tunnel that will connect the suburbs of Box Hill and Cheltenham, serving six new stations, at an estimated cost of $A 34.5bn.
Under the 10-year contract, the Linewide Alliance of RATP Dev, John Holland, Alstom, KBR and WSP, will be responsible for tunnel fit-out, tracklaying, installing power supply and other systems and supplying rolling stock, comprising 13 four-car metro trains, as well as depot and maintenance facilities. The consortium will also assume overall responsibility for systems integration of all SRL East packages.
From 2035, the TransitLinX joint venture comprising RATP Dev and John Holland will operate and maintain SRL East, including train and station operations and maintenance, centralised control, security and asset management, under a 15-year franchise agreement.
“Thousands of people are already onsite building this massive project, while hundreds will soon start building the trains in Dandenong, here in Australia,” says Victoria state premier, Jacinta Allan.
Earlier this year, Infrastructure Australia advised Victoria’s state government to develop an exit strategy for the project due to its concerns over the viability of the scheme.
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