The Chief Executive Officer of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) Authority has hit back at claims that “nothing is being done” on the project.
Speaking at the recent Urban Rail conference in Melbourne, Frankie Carroll clarified that work is underway at all six station sites for SRL East (Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill), as well as the stabling yard that will be located at Heatherton.
“For those who say nothing is being done or there’s not much going on, I want to put the truth out there,” he said.
“We’ve got 3000 people working on the project at the moment. The work is colossal. We’re getting on and getting this done.”
Carroll said Laing O’Rourke is on track to deliver the Initial and Early Works package by January 2026, “on time and on budget”.
This includes activities such as utility relocations, site establishment and levelling, road modifications, and demolition works.
With regards to the TBM launch site at Clarinda, he said ground improvement is being done in relation to the tunnel axis, with excavation for the D-walls [diaphragm walls] taking place, the D-walls going in and the first tunnel boring machine ready to start work in about April 2025.
Read more: Suburban Rail Loop takes major step forward
Speaking about the Heatherton stabling yard, where 13 trains will be stabled, cleaned and maintained when they are not in use after SRL East opens in 2035, he said: “I was there yesterday and the steel struts are in.
“We’re looking at finishing that off by the end of the year and handing it over to the main contractor.
“The power supply, the building is actually there and we’ll start to energise that pretty soon as well, to power the TBMs.”
At Burwood, excavation is set to be complete by the end of July, and all the utilities have been removed.
“We’ve demolished all the buildings around the site and we’re getting ready for TBMs to come for that site in 2026 as well.”
For more on the Suburban Rail Loop, pick up a copy of the August issue of Rail Express.
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