On 19.11.2015 the government announced the EUR6.08-7.43 billion (AUD9-11 billion) Melbourne Metro project in Australia can be procured as an availability based Public Private Partnership (PPP) concession. The Government has committed EUR3.04 billion (AUD4.5 billion) to Melbourne Metro Rail. The private investors will get service payments from the state government for operating and maintaining the rail tunnel once it opens in 11 years time.
The project will deliver two 9 km rail tunnels from South Kensington to South Yarra, travelling underneath Swanston Street in the CBD, as part of a new Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham line; 5 new underground stations at at Arden, Parkville, CBD North (providing an interchange with Melbourne Central), CBD South (providing an interchange with Flinders Street) and Domain. There will be train/tram interchanges at Parkville and Domain. Rail tunnel entrances at South Kensington and South Yarra. Also mechanical and electrical systems in the rail tunnels including lighting, tunnel ventilation and tunnel sub-stations. Click here for the indicative alignment.
Melbourne Metro's rail tunnels will be constructed under the Yarra River, which is up to a meter deep in this location. To minimise impacts on the Yarra River and surrounding areas, tunnelling using TBMs has been selected as the preferred method of construction for this section of the project. Other methods considered include an 'immersed tube' and a cofferdam construction method.
On April 2015 Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA) appointed the Aurecon Jacobs Mott MacDonald (AJM) joint venture as the technical, planning, and engagement advisor for the Melbourne Metro Rail Project in Victoria, Australia.
MMRA is responsible for managing planning works, the development of a project reference design, undertaking site investigations, planning approvals, procurement, construction delivery, and project commissioning
Site investigations commenced in Queen Victoria Gardens near St Kilda Road in April 2015 and are progressing to other sites along the alignment between South Kensington and South Yarra through until mid-2016. These investigations are happening in the Melbourne CBD, South Kensington, North Melbourne/Arden, Parkville, Domain and South Yarra precincts.
The Melbourne Metro Rail Project is currently in the planning and pre-construction phase, with major construction scheduled to commence in 2018. The full project will be delivered by 2026. Click au/32 for tunnelbuilder tender archive and visit mmrailproject.vic.gov.au. 48/15.
