Contractors announced for $5.4bn Cross River Rail Project QLD

The $5.4 billion Cross River Rail Project in Queensland is moving closer to beginning construction with the announcement of three consortia that will deliver the major components of the project.

The PULSE consortium is made up of CIMIC Group companies Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors and UGL together with international partners DIF, BAM and Ghella. The consortium will undertake the Tunnel, Station and Development (TSD) public private partnership which will deliver the underground section of the rail line including the tunnel that runs between Dutton Park and Normanby; the four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street - with development opportunities above ground - and Roma Street.

The Rail, Integration and Systems (RIS) alliance is going to be undertaken by the UNITY Alliance which is comprised of CPB Contractors, UGL, AECOM and Jacobs with partners HASSEL, RCS Australia, Acmena, Martinus Rail and Wired Overhead Solutions. The alliance will be delivering design, supply and installation of a supporting rail system and integration of the rail line to the Queensland Rail’s train network. In addition, Exhibition Station will also be upgraded under this major works package.

“It’s our privilege to work with the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority to deliver high-quality rail assets and services for Southern Queensland, enabling a world class public transport system across the entire region,” CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer Michael Wright said.

Hitachi Rail STS is the third consortium to be awarded the contract for the a major works package, namely the European Train Control System (ETCS). This new signalling system will help increase capacity on the inner-city rail network as well as enhance safety and enable the wider South East Queensland rail network to operate more efficiently. The features of the ETCS is vital for the safe operation of trains in the tunnels.

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority will be working with the three consortia over the coming months to finalise the project schedule. The builders are expected to begin mobilising on site by late 2019.

“I congratulate the proponents on advancing to this stage. Across the three works packages, there have been hundreds of people working tirelessly behind the scenes to develop the comprehensive bids and I thank them all for their hard work.

“Cross River Rail will double our heavy rail capacity through the CBD, unlocking the network  for future growth and delivering more trains, more often,” Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said.

Project map (source: Cross River Rail)

The Cross River Rail Project will comprise of a 10.2-kilometre rail line that will run between Dutton Park and Bowen Hills and a 5.9-kilometre twin tunnel running under the Brisbane River and CBD. This multi-billion dollar project will also include four new underground stations as well as upgrades to existing stations along the line.

The project is expected to have a construction period of approximately five years and will be supporting a total of up to 7,700 jobs - an average of 1,500 jobs each year with about 3,000 jobs during peak construction - which will include 450 opportunities for apprenticeship and training.

“As a result of this historic investment, hundreds of new job opportunities will be delivered, for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a project that will fundamentally change our region.

“This megaproject is a defining moment for Queensland and vital as our population booms,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

The Cross River Rail is anticipated to begin operations in 2024, bringing relief to bottlenecks and allowing more trains to run more often.

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Source: Queensland Government; Cross River Rail; CIMIC Group; The Courier Mail