The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) awarded Arcadis Australia Pacific a contract to deliver the signalling and signalling system design from concept through to final commissioning for the significant sections of Inland Rail over the life of the project.
AUD 30 million (USD 23.2 million) is the value of the contract which will create 20 new jobs over the next five years.
ARTC Inland Rail Chief Executive Officer Richard Wankmuller underlined the benefits of having a significant component of the signalling and signalling civil design work delivered by a single team. “This is a specialised aspect of the Inland Rail project and by engaging one company to deliver the majority of this important body of design work there will be a consistency of quality and a more efficient use of resources across the programme. Economically, it makes sense too, because it has reduced the need to hire scarce signalling design experts for each of the individual projects under the program delivery strategy,” Wankmuller explained.
The core design team will be located in Sydney and Brisbane with regional resources at Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee to support signal sighting and various site works.
“The Inland Rail Systems Programme is one of the most significant infrastructure projects for Australia. Is a transformative project, which will reduce freight costs, boost the economy, and help reduce carbon emissions, providing ongoing benefits to Australia,” Arcadis AusPac CEO, Malcolm McDowall said.
Inland Rail signalling and trackside infrastructure will be designed and delivered to integrate with the Advanced Train Management System, supporting enhanced rail safety and freight efficiency across the national network.
After a competitive tender process, the signalling system design services commenced in November 2020 with an expected completion date in 2027.
Inland Rail, a 1,700 km corridor, will connect Melbourne and Brisbane, through regional Victoria. It will reduce the freight costs and carbon emissions, while delivering better link businesses and producers to markets, creating long-term jobs. The first section between Parkes and Narromine, in NSW, was commissioned in September 2020 and freight trains are now operating.
In December 2020, the Government of Australia has announced a AUD 5.5 billion (USD 4.2 billion) financing for the completion of the project.
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