AECOM secures AU$70 million lead designer role to deliver Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project

MELBOURNE, Australia (Oct.2, 2018) — AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, will provide the full range of design services as part of the Rail Infrastructure Alliance which today signed a contract with the Victorian Government worth approximately AU$1 billion. The project is expected to be worth approximately AU$70 million to AECOM and will support the delivery of the AU$11 billion Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project.

The Rail Infrastructure Alliance consists of CPB Contractors and John Holland, with AECOM as the design partner, as well as project owner Rail Projects Victoria and rail franchisee Metro Trains Melbourne. AECOM’s affiliates will design all elements of the project, including tunnel entrances, brownfield rail network enhancements and station improvements. AECOM’s affiliates will also be responsible for obtaining the various planning and environmental approvals relating to the upgrade of the rail network and helping to minimise the projects impacts.

“This is a highly complex and challenging design brief, which will connect the new 9 km Metro tunnels to the existing live rail corridors bringing the trains above ground and allowing them to seamlessly continue their journey along the network,” said Todd Battley, AECOM’s chief executive of Australia and New Zealand.

The Rail Infrastructure Alliance has started preparatory works, including geotechnical, service and site investigations, at Kensington, South Yarra and West Footscray, to inform planning and design of the western and eastern tunnel portals that will connect with new stations at Arden Street, Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain.

“We have already begun to mobilise combined local and global teams to bring the best of AECOM’s tunnel portal design, geotechnical and urban heavy rail capability to this transformational project. Once complete it will keep a growing Melbourne moving and leave a lasting legacy of rail design expertise, which Victoria can export to the world.”

It is expected that over 1,000 people will work on the Rail Infrastructure Alliance package of works, including almost 100 apprentices, trainees and engineering cadets.

This article was first published by AECOM.