Passenger Rail

Winner announced for $1bn Metro Tunnel contract

Melbourne Metro rail tunnel. Graphic: Victorian Government

The $1 billion contract to deliver the twin tunnel entrances for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel has been awarded to a consortium of John Holland, CPB Contractors and AECOM.

The consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the Rail Infrastrcuture Alliance (RIA) contract, the final major contract to be awarded for the $11 billion Metro Tunnel Project, which is to build nine kilometres of twin tunnels beneath the CBD, in an effort to ease congestion on the City Circle and surrounding lines.

The RIA contract is to build the entrances for the twin tunnels at South Yarra and Kensington. CPB Contractors and John Holland are equal construction partners in the contract, and AECOM is the design partner.

The Alliance also includes project owner Rail Projects Victoria (formerly the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority) and operational franchisee Metro Trains Melbourne.

“We’re continuing to build the critical infrastructure needed to help Victorians get home safer and sooner every day,” Victorian public transport minister Jacinta Allan said.

“The Metro Tunnel will deliver more trains, more often to the outer suburbs and slash travel times to some of Melbourne’s key health, education, jobs and tourism hubs.”

Construction is expected to commence in late 2018 and be completed in 2025.

John Holland is a subsidiary of Chinese firm CCCG. CPB Contractors is part of CIMIC Group, whose parent company is German construction firm Hochtief. AECOM is an American multinational engineering and design firm.

CIMIC chief executive officer Michael Wright said rail investment in Victoria was providing CIMIC and its CPB Contractors with “a strong pipeline of opportunities,” noting CPB Contractors was part of the Metro Tunnel’s $1 billion design and construct contract.

“CIMIC’s in-house engineering consultancy, EIC Activities, is also playing a key role in assessing all geotechnical and civil structure designs and challenges, to offer quality, cost-effective construction methodologies and solutions for the Alliance,” Wright said.