Three consortia bid for multi-billion dollar Melbourne Metro Tunnel project

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Melbourne Central railway station, pictured in the Melbourne underground train loop in 2014. Credit Shutterstock.
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Three international construction consortia have submitted bids to build the multi-billion dollar Melbourne Metro Tunnel.

Continuum Victoria, Cross Yarra Partnership and Moving Melbourne Together were shortlisted to construct the nine-kilometre metro tunnel and five underground stations in August 2016. The final bids have now been received.

The Metro Tunnel will directly link the Sunbury and Cranebourne/Pakenham lines, via the CBD. By diverting services away from the City Loop, the tunnel will free up capacity for additional services to be run across the network.

More than 100,000 pages of detailed plans have been submitted to the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority in the hope of being awarded the contract for the $6 billion Tunnel and Stations Public Private Partnership (PPP).

The tunnel has been described as the biggest public transport project in Victoria’s history and will include the construction of five new underground stations: Arden, Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain.

Early works on the $10.9 billion have also now received formal planning approval.

Earlier today (April 10), work began on installing the concrete piles at Franklin and A’Beckett streets that will reinforce the walls of the the new CBD North underground station.

Constructing the Metro Tunnel will create at least 4,700 local jobs, the Victorian state government has said.

A contract for the PPP is due to be awarded by the end of 2017. Construction of the tunnels and stations is set to begin in 2018.

Below is a breakdown of the three consortia:

  • Continuum Victoria: ACCIONA Infrastructure, Ferrovial Agroman, Honeywell, Downer EDI and Plenary Origination
  • Cross Yarra Partnership: Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital
  • Moving Melbourne Together: Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors, Ghella, Salini Impregilo, Serco and Macquarie Capital.
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