Seven major tenders for the high-speed rail Newcastle to Sydney project have been released by that are expected to lead to numerous engineering jobs and the production of thousands of precast concrete sleepers.
The long-awaited rail project is finally entering the development phase that the Australian Government said would ensure “Line 1 is construction-ready and will secure time-critical environmental and planning approvals and refine estimates from the business case on project cost, timelines and benefits”.
It is more than 40 years since the first high speed rail project between Sydney and Newcastle was proposed by the Hawke Government in 1984 which suggested French TGV technology could be used on the route.
Modern high-speed railway tracks require the use of prefabricated high performance concrete sleepers with their higher density and weight which provide the required stability to support high-speed trains.
Concrete sleepers can be supplied ready for laying straight from the factory, meaning that all the reinforcing can be built into the sleeper and prestressed in accordance with any required or specified standards, according to National Precast.
The Australian Government’s new tender packages will cover key engineering, project delivery, environmental and technical aspects.
The tender packages include:
- Technical and Architectural Advisor
- Business, Operations and Maintenance Advisor
- Commercial and Transactions Advisor
- Delivery Partner
- Strategic Property Acquisition Advisor
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Advisor
- Demand Forecasting Advisor.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said the high-speed rail project would support thousands of highly skilled jobs across engineering and project management.
Detailed information on the above tenders is available on the Australian government AusTender platform.
Image source: EPD Australasia
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Focused on concrete and construction for more than 11 years, her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com