Despite announcing a cost blowout of up to $1bn on the Regional Rail Link (RRL) earlier this month, the Victorian Government has gone ahead and shortlisted bidders for two major work packages for the project.
The decision to go to market to find contractors to build the RRL followed a government review of the project and what public transport minister Terry Mulder said was “significant budget pressures” and the deferral of $500m in federal funding.
The shortlisted bidders for the Footscray to Sunshine package are Synergy Rail (Abigroup, Coleman Rail, John Holland, AECOM and GHD), and Thiess, Balfour Betty, Parsons Brinkerhoff and SKM.
Key features of the work package include:
&bull    Approximately 7.5km of two new dedicated tracks “at grade” for RRL between Footscray to Sunshine
&bull    Redevelopment and modification of Footscray station
&bull    Modifications to Sunshine station and
&bull    Two new grade separations at Anderson Road, Sunshine.
Federal minister for infrastructure Anthony Albanese said the work package was a “complex section” of the RRL, and would help transform Melbourne’s inner western suburbs by providing better public transport connections and services.
The shortlisted bidders for the Train Control and Systems package are Invensys Rail and John Holland, and UGL and Manidis Roberts.
Key features of the work package include:
&bull    Modification to existing train control systems and the creation of a new train control system for the RRL corridor
&bull    Creation of a new generation computer based signalling system for the RRL corridor
&bull    Installation of approximately 45km of fibre optic cable to support the new train control systems and
&bull    Installation of new passenger information systems to new stations and upgrade of existing systems at existing stations that are being modified by the project.
Albanese said the package of works would lead the Victorian rail industry in the development o fnew standards and technology and provide significant opportunities for the professional development of graduate engineers and apprentices.
The RRL could take an extra two years to complete after the government claimed ealier this months that the former Labor Government had been between $700m and $1.1bn short in its costings and had failed to adequately cost basic elements of the project including rolling stock, station platforms, signalling, land acquisition and the removal of level crossings
“Funding and scheduling challenges still exist, but the government will consult with industry and stakeholders about opportunities to optimise scope and achieve savings in order to address these issues,” Mulder said.
 
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