Search Results for: John Holland

The Federal Government’s $1.2 billion National Building package included a contribution towards the $134 million first stage of the project, known as the Minimbah Bank Third Rail Line.
This project involves the construction of approximately 10 kilometres of third rail track from Minimbah, west of Belford to Whittingham.
ARTC chief executive David Marchant said the construction work for Stage One is expected to be completed by early 2010.
“This is a vitally important project…to meet the forecasted increase in demand for export and domestic coal in the Hunter Valley,” Marchant said.
“Without the upgrade to the Main Northern Rail network, coal exported from the Hunter Valley through the Port of Newcastle could start to be constrained from 2015.”
ARTC recently formed the Hunter 8 Alliance with John Holland Pty Ltd and GHD Pty Ltd (GHD) to design and build the new track with the project involving two concurrent stages.
Stage One, from Minimbah to Whittingham, received approval from the Minister for Planning under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 on May 22nd.
The Alliance is currently undertaking an Environmental Assessment and preliminary design work for Stage Two, a third track of 32 kilometres from Maitland to Minimbah, known as the Maitland to Minimbah Third Track.
Marchant said ARTC was committed to the rail infrastructure upgrades as part of their Hunter Valley Capacity Improvement Strategy.
“Our strategy seeks to keep the rail system capacity ahead of industry demands and we have taken another important step…with construction of the Minimbah Bank Third Rail Line Project moving into full swing,” he said.
The Hunter 8 Alliance has prepared a number of Environmental and Community Management Plans to identify specific measures to reduce impacts to the environment and the local community during construction.

For more information about the project visit: www.hunter8alliance.com.au

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Delayed priority list causing problems for Victoria
Infrastructure Australias later than expected release of its final priority list of projects is reportedly causing problems for the Victorian Government.
Recent media reports that the Federal Government is expected to respond to the national priority list before handing down its budget on May 12th however Victoria is due to release its budget before this, on May 5th.
Sources reportedly said that Victorias task of prioritising projects, allocating spending and planning debt programs was very difficult without knowing how much money they will be receiving from the Federal Government and for which projects.
What projects do make the final priority list could have major implications for Victoria the States $4 billion plus regional rail link is reportedly tipped as a likely candidate for Federal Government funding.

Work begins on Tasmania’s biggest transport project
By Rob McKay
Tasmania ‘s largest ever transport infrastructure project is on its way to becoming a reality with the first sod turned on April 21st, on the $243m Brighton Bypass and the Brighton Transport Hub.
Two joint ventures have been selected to carry out the work – VEC/Thiess has won the contract for the northern section of the bypass and John Holland/Hazell Bros the southern section, which includes the Brighton Transport Hub.
The $79m hub is expected to be operational by September 2011 and the $164m bypass is scheduled for completion by June 2012.
These projects will significantly improve connections to the developing Brighton Industrial Estate and future Brighton Transport Hub,” Tasmanian premier David Bartlett said.
This is of fundamental and long-term importance for the future of transport in southern Tasmania.
Bartlett said the Brighton Transport Hub would provide a modern road-rail interchange and freight distribution hub to improve efficiency of freight movement into and out of southern Tasmania.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au

Train services resume in Blackwater system
By Jennifer Perry
Rail services in the Blackwater coal system in central Queensland were disrupted for four days following the collision of two coal trains West of Rockhampton, on April 22nd.
The incident occurred at 12.50am at Grantleigh, about 150km west of Rockhampton, causing damage to wagons and locomotives, as well as the track and overhead wires. No one was injured in the collision.
A QR spokeswoman told Rail express that a single line between Blackwater and Rockhampton was opened at 6pm, April 24th, and a second line was opened at 3.45pm, April 25th, a day earlier than QR had anticipated.
There are some speed restrictions on the track other than that trains are up and running, she said.
QR National Coal, executive general manager, Marcus McAuliffe said that QR is continuing to liaise with port and shipping authorities to minimise interruptions.
It is not yet known what caused the collision and the incident is still being investigated.

Genesee &amp Wyoming finishes Eyre Peninsula rail upgrade
By Rob McKay
Genesee &amp Wyoming Australia has completed major track renovation on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
The $30m project, which began in 2007, saw 116 km of track tamped and regulated, 12,030 joints removed, 16 km of track replaced and 84,250 sleepers inserted, project manager Kym Fullgrabe confirmed on April 24th.
The section of track between Port Lincoln and Cummins takes the greater amount of traffic on that part of the peninsula system, which predominantly carries grain.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au

Conlon opens first facility in Port Adelaide Bulk Precinct
By Rob McKay
South Australian Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon launched the first phase of Flinders Ports’ $50m Port Adelaide Bulk Precinct project on April 27th, when he opened a $6m, 2500 sq m fully-enclosed storage facility, adjacent to Berth 29 in the Inner Harbour.
Flinders Ports said that once complete, the common-user precinct would include:
. A $5m private rail link and interface with the national rail network
. Purpose-built, fully enclosed storage facilities
. Best practice environmental performance, with overall design to focus on minimising environmental impacts including dust, and water conservation and re-use across the site
. State-of-the-art materials handling systems including reclaim conveyor systems to and from the storage facilities
. Upgraded or improved ancillary facilities including new roadways, site services and environmental systems
The 160,000 square metre site will take advantage of both the improved road system, linking Port Adelaide to the major traffic routes, and the bulk shipping wharf at Berth 29, Flinders Ports chief executive, Vincent Tremaine said.
The master plan for the precinct includes a private rail connection from the nearby national network into the area to ensure those who use the facility enjoy cost efficiencies across all major transport modes.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au

Conlon to respond to Port Bonython feasibility study
By Rob McKay
The South Australian Government will respond soon to the Port Bonython feasibility study, a spokesman for transport minister Pat Conlon said on April 28th.The spokesman confirmed that Conlon had received the report several weeks ago but it was, a large document that the minister’s department had had to examine.
He was unable to be more specific on the timing of the response but denied that the time taken had related to present or proposed federal infrastructure spending announcements.
Earlier, State opposition infrastructure spokesman David Ridgway urged the SA Government to show leadership to enable a deep-sea port to be developed at Port Bonython.
“”We’re in a catch-22 situation and what we really need is for the government to show some leadership and either underwrite the development or facilitate the Federal Government or even some overseas companies coming in to help underwrite the development,”” the ABC quoted Ridgway as saying.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au

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<p>Stevedoring company Patrick will take over the Warrnambool-Melbourne rail freight services from Melbourne company El Zorro after rail freight terminal operator Westvic Container Handling dumped the service provider last week.</p> <p>El Zorro business manager Geoff Tighe told <em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> that the company had been given about two weeks’ notice and would carry its last load this Friday.</p> <p>Patrick has direct rail access into Melbourne dock.</p> <p>Mr Tighe said that Westvic Container Handling managing director Warrick Loft had not only complained about El Zorro’s services but was critical of everyone involved in the logistics operation.</p> <p> &#8220It’s included problems with Connex and V&#47Line when they have been doing maintenance work and line upgrades, and that has caused late running trains,&#8221 he said.</p> <p> &#8220Our train had a very tight turning time &#8211 it only had about two and a half hours for the people at P&#38O in the North Dynon rail yard to reload the train and get it running with empty container boxes back to Warrnambool.&#8221</p> <p>Mr Tighe said his company had &#8220bent over backwards&#8221 to provide Mr Loft with the best service possible.</p> <p>&#8220Every time there has been a problem we have put trucks in place to carry his boxes from Warrnambool to Melbourne,&#8221 he said.</p> <p>&#8220We have even run trains on the weekend, which was not in the original deal.&#8221</p> <p><em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> has been trying to contact Mr Loft for two days.</p> <p>Mr Tighe said that the loss of the service was a blow to the company, but it would free up broad gauge equipment to allow it to take up business that it had been unable to handle.</p> <p>El Zorro runs about five trains a fortnight for mineral sands company Iluka Resources and country maintenance trains for V&#47Line and John Holland.</p> <p>&#8220People have been knocking on our doors and we haven’t been able to help them for lack of equipment so we can now go back and talk to the,&#8221 he said.</p> <br />

<p>Work has begun on two new passing lanes &#8211 each 7 km long &#8211 to speed up rail traffic on the main Sydney-Melbourne line between Wagga Wagga and Albury.</p> <p>Site works underway on the passing lanes, at Gerogery and Culcairn, includes bulk earthworks, services and drainage works.</p> <p>Funded under the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s (ARTC) $2 bn North South Investment Strategy, the new passing lanes make a total of four on the line.</p> <p>Over the next two years, a consortium will construct 17 new passing lanes, also 7 km in length, between Junee and Melbourne. </p> <p>ARTC chief executive David Marchant said the use of the regularly spaced 7-km long passing lanes will remove the present restriction on the Sydney- Melbourne line caused by irregularly spaced crossing loops with maximum lengths of only 1.5 km.</p> <p>&#8220The passing lanes will allow trains to pass and cross at speed along the 472 km of single-line track between Junee and Melbourne, by providing double track passing lanes at around 40-minute running time intervals,&#8221 he said.</p> <p>The civil and signalling work is being undertaken under the North South Strategy’s $560m Southern Improvement Alliance (SIA), an alliance between ARTC and John Holland Rail, MVM Rail and O’Donnell Griffin supported by sub-alliance partners Kellogg Brown and Root, and CW-DC.</p> <br />

<p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is asking train operators to pass on some of the productivity gains from imminent track improvements to the Sydney-Melbourne rail route.</p> <p>On Friday, ARTC signed an agreement with the Australian Rail Consortium &#8211 led by John Holland MVM Rail and O’Donnell Griffin &#8211 for $560m worth of upgrade work to the line between Australia’s two biggest cities.</p> <p>As part of those improvements, train operators will be able to increase train length on the route from 1,500 metres to 1,800 metres, ARTC chief executive David Marchant said.</p> <p>"We would like the train operators to pass on those productivity gains [going from 1,500 metres to 1,800 metres&#93," Mr Marchant said.</p> <p>ARTC is still in discussion with operators about passing some of those savings on, he said.</p> <p>Train operators will save at least 8% on present costs with the shorter running times &#8211 from 13 hr 10 min to 10 hr and 40 min (1,500 metre trains) and 11 hr and 30 min (1,800 metre trains) &#8211 and fuel savings, he said.</p> <p>Works will include 220 km of new passing loops, revamped track infrastructure and modernised signalling systems.</p> <p>The upgrade will create additional capacity on the line and that could give rise to greater competition on the route &#8211 if anyone can afford it.</p> <p>"All the opportunity is there for people who can afford to enter the market," Mr Marchant said.</p> <p>"New entrants will need to be very well cashed up."</p> <p>Finding sufficient terminal space in either Sydney of Melbourne to put an 1,800 metre train was "a big problem", he said.</p> <p>With the time and cost savings to train operators, ARTC is hopeful that rail can increase its share of the Sydney-Melbourne freight market from the present 11% to around 30% when the works are completed in about four years time.</p> <p>The upgrade is being planned to minimise disruption to present services.</p> <p>However, the industry would benefit from the building of additional capacity as the works progressed, he said. </p> <br />

<p>The Alice Springs-Darwin rail link has won its third major award for 2004 &#8211 this time for project of the year.</p> <p>The $1.4bn project won the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia Award, which follows earlier wins in the 2004 Australian Construction Achievement Award and the 2004 National Engineering Excellence Award.</p> <p>Kellogg Brown &#38 Root led a consortium of engineering firms &#8211 Barclay Mowlem, John Holland and MacMahon &#8211 which finished the 1,420 km rail link five months ahead of schedule. </p> <br />

<p>Work has begun on the final stage of the $440m Kenwick rail tunnel, the Western Australian Government said.</p> <p>The government has awarded John Holland the $14.2m construction contract for the tunnel, which is part of the railway spur being constructed from the Armadale line to Thornlie.</p> <p>Construction work also involves the relocation of around 1.4 km of the Woodbridge-to-Kwinana freight railway.</p> <br />

<p>Victorian premier Steve Bracks turned the first sod on the Ballarat line last week to mark the beginning of work on the state’s $550m regional fast rail project.</p> <p>The project is expected to deliver faster and more frequent rail services between Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley, with 29 new trains travelling at speeds of up to 160km&#47h.</p> <p>All four lines are now being tested to determine the condition of track foundations and where new or upgraded track will be needed.</p> <p>Contractors are also set to begin laying fibre optic cable for the new signalling system.</p> <p>Mr Brack said the project would be built "on time and on budget by mid 2005".</p> <p>But Victorian opposition leader Robert Doyle said costs could blow out to $1bn.</p> <p>The turning of the first sod does not signal the start of work, Mr Doyle said.</p> <p>The Thiess-ALSTOM consortium will upgrade the Ballarat and Geelong lines, while a joint venture between John Holland and Transfield will upgrade the Bendigo and Latrobe Valley lines.</p> <p>The fast rail project is the centrepiece of the State Government’s $3.5bn Linking Victoria transport strategy.</p> <br />

<p>Victoria’s four regional fast rail construction contracts have been tied up by two consortia.</p> <p>Thiess-Alstom secured the Ballarat and Geelong corridors and the John Holland and Transfield joint venture was the successful tenderer for Latrobe Valley and Ballarat.</p> <p>Unsuccessful bidders include Leighton Contractors, BLM Construction &#8211 made up of Baulderstone Hornibrook, Bilfinger Berger and Lockheed Martin Australia &#8211 and Downer EDI.</p> <p>The consortia will upgrade more than 500 km of track and improve signalling. </p> <p>Work will begin by November 1 and be completed by mid 2005.</p> <p>In total the project, including the introduction of new trains on these routes, is costing the Victorian Government $550m.</p> <p>Over 5,000 jobs are expected to flow from the work.</p> <br />