Work starts today on Victorian’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL)

Melbourne

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One of the most important projects in Victoria’s history is now underway on the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL)

Premier Daniel Andrews and Suburban Rail Loop Minister Jacinta Allan today visited Clayton to mark the start of construction of SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill and meet the workers undertaking excavation works near the site of the new SRL station.

The laying of a new 630-metre sewer pipe – dug by a remote-controlled micro-tunnelling machine – is the beginning of a massive program of initial and early works which will create up to 800 local jobs.

The first phase of works for SRL East will also include road modifications, service relocation and preparation for three sites where the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be launched.

Up to 10 TBMS are expected to carve the 26 kilometres of twin tunnels, linking the six new underground stations.

“We’re thrilled to see construction start – SRL East will connect people across the east and southeast to workplaces, education, health and retail centres, delivering a massive pipeline of new jobs – and we’re getting on with building it,” says Janice Allen, the minister of Suburban Rail Loop.

SRL East will be open by 2035 – the first of three stages of the 90km orbital loop linking every major rail line via the airport – connecting major employment, health and education centres, creating a pipeline of jobs and training opportunities, and slashing travel times. A trip from Cheltenham to Box Hill will take just 22 minutes.

The new station at Clayton will be a transport super hub – connecting regional Victorians to SRL and one of the busiest interchange stations on the network.

SRL East will generate up to 8,000 jobs during construction, with exciting opportunities for local industry and suppliers. The Clayton site has been established by Indigenous construction firm Wamarra – the first sub-contractor employed on this city-shaping project.

Over more than two million hours, workers have completed thousands of lab tests and surveys, and geotechnical investigations at more than 840 sites.

This will reshape Melbourne’s city for future generations and transform the public transport network – and it’s officially underway.

EOIs for tunnelling contracts are now closed

Suburban Rail Loop has attracted interest from global leaders in tunnelling and construction, with submissions received from 5 world-class bidders to build the twin tunnels for SRL East.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have now closed for the 2 tunnelling contracts – the first between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley – the longest tunnelling package in Victoria’s history – and the second between Glen Waverley and Box Hill.

The 5 bidders include companies with track records delivering iconic projects both locally and internationally. They are:

  • Bouygues Construction Australia Pty Ltd
  • CPB Contractors Pty Limited and Ghella Pty Ltd and Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd
  • John Holland Pty Ltd and Gamuda Berhad trading as Gamuda (Australia) Branch
  • Samsung C&T Corporation and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co, Ltd
  • Webuild S.p.A and GS Engineering and Construction Australia Pty Ltd

Three bidders will move through to a Request for Proposal process later this year, and from there, 2 will be awarded tunnelling contracts – the first to be announced next year.

SRL East will deliver twin tunnels from Cheltenham to Box Hill with new underground stations atCheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill. Up to 10 tunnel boring machines (TBMS) will be used in the project, with tunnelling to begin in 2026.

Source: Works Start Today On Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop | Premier of Victoria

Image source: © 2022, State Government of Victoria, Australia 

Source: Victoria Big Build

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