The largest Initial and Early Works package on an infrastructure project in Australian history is now open to the market.
Following a pre-qualification process, construction contractors have been invited to express interest in the first phase of stage one of the Suburban Rail Loop.
The work involves upgrading roads and power supplies, building new sub-stations, utility relocation and protection, ground improvements, and preparing sites for the arrival of tunnel boring machines.
“This is the biggest transport project in Victorian history and it will transform our state forever – we know that the best construction companies want to be a part of delivering it,” said Victorian Minister for Suburban Rail loop Jacinta Allan.
Contractors are able to submit their EOI until 2pm January 29, 2021.
Some early site investigation works and geotechnical testing for the project have already been conducted to help determine the location of stations on stage one.
In November, the Victorian government confirmed the location of the first six stations.
The first will be at Southland, near Cheltenham, with a connection to the Frankston Line. The underground line will then progress to Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverly, Burwood, and Box Hill. Interchanges at Clayton will allow for regional connections, while passengers will be able to interchange to suburban rail services at Glen Waverly and Box Hill.
Simultaneously, the state government announced $2.2 billion for the project in the 2020-21 budget which will fund land acquisitions, the early works package, and facilitate station construction. A business case has not yet been released.
The early works package is expected to create 800 direct jobs.
“We said we’d get on and deliver Stage One of Suburban Rail Loop and we’re not wasting a second – this early phase of construction is going to create hundreds of local jobs and make this huge project a reality,” said Allan.