Railway_Digest__February_2018

News
Around Melbourne
Major Metro Tunnel construction
works on display
Locals and visitors will be able to watch construction of the Melbourne
Metro tunnel from new viewing areas in Melbourne’s City Square, as
work ramps up on the project.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan and Melbourne
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle unveiled two separate 10-metre long viewing
areas in Swanston Street on Wednesday 6 December. The new platforms
will allow thousands of people each day to watch as this iconic landmark
is transformed into Town Hall Station – one of five new underground
stations on the Melbourne Metro Rail Project (Metro Tunnel project).
City Square is being demolished so that construction crews can
dig 11 storeys below the ground to build the new Town Hall station,
with most of City Square’s surface to be removed by mid-February.
This access tunnel will be used to transport workers and equipment to
and from the surface as the station is built. Following construction of
a temporary deck, the site will be covered by a massive acoustic shed
towards the end of 2018.
Work also continues on other Metro Tunnel packages, with bidders
now shortlisted for the final package of works – the Rail Infrastructure
Alliance (RIA). The $1 billion RIA will connect the Metro Tunnel to the
rest of the network by upgrading and building new infrastructure
including a new platform and turnback facility at West Footscray station
(Sunbury line), and track and signalling work between Tottenham
(Sunbury line) and Oakleigh (Pakenham and Cranbourne lines). The
RIA will also build tunnel entrances where the Metro Tunnel joins the
network in Kensington (Craigieburn line) and South Yarra (Pakenham,
Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines).
The shortlisted bidders for the RIA are CPB John Holland AECOM
comprising CPB Contractors, John Holland, and AECOM Australia and
Laing O’Rourke comprising Laing O’Rourke, Kellogg Brown & Root and
WSP Australia.
Victoria
More car parks for Keilor Plains station
A total of 177 new car parking places have been completed at Keilor
Plains station, giving passengers in Melbourne’s growing west an easier
trip to work or school in the morning. (Keilor Plains is located 19.5
kilometres from Southern Cross station on the Sunbury line.)
Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman announced the completion of
works on Friday 8 December. The works included installing new lighting,
line markings, CCTV and signage to improve safety and station access.
The Victorian government’s $20 million Station Car Park Upgrades
Program is building more than 2,100 extra parking spaces at regional
and metropolitan stations.
By the end of December 2017, car parking capacity had been
increased at:
Station Line No. of additional car parks
Castlemaine Bendigo 150
Ferntree Gully Belgrave 215
Gisborne Bendigo 40
Keilor Plains Sunbury 177
Kilmore East North East 50
Kyneton Bendigo 100
Officer Pakenham 165
Regent South Morang 117
Upfield Upfield 100
Wallan North East 150
Watsonia Hurstbridge 101
Williams Landing Werribee 150
Works are yet to be completed at:
Berwick (Pakenham line), Deer Park (Serviceton line), Melton
(Serviceton line) and Strathmore (Craigieburn line).
For more information, visit the Victrack station car park upgrades page:
www.victrack.com.au/projects/key-projects/station-car-park-upgrades
6058, the latest of 80
trams being built by
Bombardier Transportation
at Dandenong, is seen in
the Melbourne CBD on
Sunday 3 December 2017. It
is planned to deliver all 80 of
the E class/6000 series trams
by June 2019. The E class
currently operate on routes
11, 86 and 96. Mike Martin
22
RAILWAY DIGEST