By Ashley Karen
A JV that comprises Acciona and Ferrovial has received a contract worth approximately US$1.47bn which contains the construction of twin 11km tunnels for the central section of the Sydney Metro West Line.
Despite the tunnels which will link Bays Station with Sydney Olympic Park Station – constructed for the 2000 Olympic Games, the JV’s contract also comprises the civil works and excavation of five new stations and auxiliary services.
Work is anticipated to start in a few weeks’ time, with tunneling planned to be completed by 2025. Four TBMs will be used, the first of which is due to begin boring by the end of 2022.
As a flagship initiative in sustainability, the project is scheduled to optimize the alignment of tunnels and stations to remove the number of trucks used during the construction period, decrease overall excavation, and improve public safety. Further spin-offs are going to contain linking new housing areas to rail services, and supporting job growth and housing supply: approximately 1,000 new jobs and an extra 500 trainee positions will be created.
The project, 24km-long Sydney Metro West line, is Australia’s largest public transport project. With 31 stations in total, it is going to link Greater Parramatta with Sydney’s central business district in a journey time of 20 minutes, and transform the city for future generations.
