Over 700 people representing roughly 250 organisations and 17 countries have attended a major industry briefing in Newcastle, Australia, that saw two milestone train and tunnel tenders issued as part of the development of the country’s new High Speed Rail system between Newcastle and Sydney.
Aiming to connecting the two cities in around one hour; planning for the project has now officially reached the Development Phase – which is expected to last two years.
Two tenders have been issued for the development of the new High Speed Rail project
© Australian Government
Once operational, trains are planned to run at around 320km/h.
After the industry briefing in Newcastle, tender documents were issued for the following:
- Area Package 1 – The design and construction of about 35 kilometres of twin tunnels using tunnel boring machines; associated civil works; an underground railway station on the Central Coast; and all system installation
- Trains, Systems and System Integration – The supply of high speed trains; design of all systems; construction of the rail depot and operations control centre; and the ultimate integration, testing and commissioning of all relevant systems for the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail corridor
The parties selected from these tenders will work together with the Australian Government’s High Speed Rail Authority to get the project construction-ready, which will include finalisation of the alignment between Newcastle and Sydney, supporting planning approval processes, and refining costs and timeframe
Once at the end of the Development Phase, the Authority will select preferred tenders to build the project, with no major construction contracts planned to be awarded until the Australian Government’s decision-making process is complete.
During the briefing in Newcastle, industry representatives were also provided with updates on a number of other major procurement activities during the Development Phase, including the proposed delivery strategy and funding and financing models; details of the Advanced Manufacturing Facility tender process; and future area packages.