SYDNEY Metro has awarded a joint venture of John Holland and Laing O’Rourke part of a contract worth more than $A 300m ($US 232.2m) to upgrade Sydney’s 125-year-old Bankstown line in preparation for the introduction of Metro services in 2024.
The project will include:
- upgrading 15 bridges and installing safety protection screens
- improvements to retaining walls, culverts and track drainage
- installing rail corridor fencing and segregating the existing freight line from the new driverless metro tracks, and
- upgrading the rail systems, signalling and overhead wiring.
Downer EDI Works was awarded the second part of the contract to upgrade Hurlstone Park, Belmore and Wiley Park stations to Metro standard with platform level access, lifts at Hurlstone Park and Wiley Park, accessible toilets, service buildings and cabling, station security fencing and upgrades to amenities and interchange facilities.
The contract for station upgrades also includes preparation for the installation of platform screen doors.
A Sydney Metro spokesperson said the work would ensure that the line was fully accessible.
Construction is being undertaken in stages to enable Bankstown Line services to continue during most of construction. However, the line will be closed during NSW school holidays from June 28 to July 11 when there are fewer passengers on the network.
An earlier contract to upgrade Canterbury, Marrickville, and Lakemba stations was awarded to a joint venture of Haslin Constructions and Stephen Edwards Constructions in December, while another contract to upgrade Campsie, Dulwich Hill, and Punchbowl stations is yet to be awarded. Further contracts are expected later this year.
The 30km Sydney City & Southwest is effectively an extension of the 23km Metro Northwest line, which opened in May 2019. Services will run at four-minute intervals in each direction when Metro services on the upgraded Bankstown Line are expected to start in 2024.
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