John Holland To Deliver New Harbour Rail Crossing With $2.81b Sydney Metro Tunnelling Work

The $2.81 billion Sydney Metro City & Southwest Tunnel and Station Excavation Works (TSE) contract includes twin 15.5km tunnels and civil works for six new metro stations with joint venture partners CPB Contractors and Ghella.

The tunnels will be excavated by five tunnel boring machines (TBMs) between Chatswood and Sydenham, including a specialised TBM to build the tunnels beneath Sydney Harbour.

The new stations will be built at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street and Waterloo.

Chief Executive Officer, Joe Barr, said it would be an honour to deliver Australia’s largest public transport project, which will revolutionise public transport in Sydney.

“This iconic project will build the first ever rail tunnels under Sydney Harbour – a crucial transport connection to meet the ever growing needs of our global city,” he said.

“This one-in-a-generation project will transform the rail network in Sydney, delivering a step-change in public transport capacity and customer experience, and it is a privilege to be trusted to build it.”

“Our construction solution addresses the challenges of intricate underground construction in the heart of the Sydney CBD. We will use barges on Sydney Harbour to help minimise impacts on the road network at the Barangaroo and Blues Point work sites.”

Executive General Manager NSW/ACT, Scott Olsen, said John Holland has a long history of partnership with the NSW Government.

“We have recently delivered the Sydney Metro Northwest Tunnels and Station Civil Works contract and are currently working on the Operations, Trains and Systems contract,” he said.

“We bring vast local and international expertise in tunnelling and the delivery of major infrastructure in urban areas. We are focussed on delivering a world-class project in partnership with Transport for NSW, with sustainable design, opportunities for local employment and a socially inclusive procurement strategy.”

Construction is scheduled to commence on the TSE Works in the coming weeks, with the contract expected to be completed in 2021.