Thiess awarded Victorian Regional Rail Link Alliance contract

Thiess has been awarded an $835 million contract for works on the Footscray to Deer Park section of Regional Rail Link Project, jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.

In an Alliance with construction partners Balfour Beatty and design partners Parsons Brinckerhoff and Sinclair Knight Merz, Thiess will join with the Regional Rail Link Authority, Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) and V/Line to design and construct a key section of the first major new rail line for metropolitan Melbourne in 80 years.

Considered a critical component of Melbourne’s rail network, the Regional Rail Link will separate regional trains from metropolitan trains for the first time giving Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat trains their own dedicated tracks - increasing capacity and reliability.

Thiess Managing Director, Bruce Munro, said the company was ideally placed to deliver the project which will provide improved connectivity and greater flexibility for the community.

“We are excited about the opportunity in this historic investment in Victorian rail which will bring significant benefits to the western suburbs and to regional Victorian communities both socially and economically,” he said.

The contract is a significant endorsement of Thiess' extensive rail expertise gained on major projects across the country, from MetWest in Melbourne to the TrackStar alliance in Brisbane.

Key features of the Footscray to Deer Park section include:

• Construction of 7.5 kilometres of new regional track
• New rail bridges
• Two road / rail separations at level crossings on Anderson Road, Sunshine
• New station at West Footscray featuring a pedestrian overpass and increased car parking
• Station upgrades at Footscray and Sunshine, including new platforms and new station forecourts
• Improvements to Tottenham station, including additional car parking
• Design and construction of train control systems (TCS) for the metropolitan lines
• Improvement works to level crossings at Fitzgerald Road, Ardeer and Mt Derrimut Road, Deer Park.

General Manager Vic/SA/Tas/NZ, Rod Heale, said the alliance delivery model would provide the client with an optimal solution drawing on the skills and expertise of local and worldwide rail specialists.

“We have worked closely with our Alliance partners through the selection process to develop a program of works that addresses engineering challenges, community expectations and that will be experienced on a complex project like this,” he said.

“We are confident that our team has the right skills, experience and innovative thinking to successfully deliver the project, while minimising disruption to rail services and ensuring the safety of everybody.”

The team has already commenced mobilisation with major works between Hopkins Street, Footscray and Anderson Road, Sunshine expected to commence in early 2012.