Australia’s Sydney Metro has awarded a $227m contract to John Holland and Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction for the renovation of the nearly 125-year-old Bankstown Line between Bankstown and Sydenham.
The contract includes upgrades to 15 bridges and the installation of safety screens.
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The civil construction works will include the development of retaining walls, ducts and track drainage.
The companies will also build fences along the rail corridor and the current freight track will be separated from the new driverless railway lines.
Rail systems work will also be executed, including new track crossovers, work to assist signalling and communication equipment, upgrading and refurbishing of overhead wiring, as well as utility modifications.
Another $98m contract has been awarded to Downer EDI Works for the overhaul of Hurlstone Park, Belmore and Wiley Park stations to metro rail standards.
This contract includes the development and re-levelling of current platforms, installation of new lifts, family accessible toilets, cabling for the new rail systems and more.
The stations will also feature platform screen doors to keep people and objects such as prams away from the lines.
The metro claimed that these glass safety barriers are being used in Australia for the first time.
In 2024, metro services will resume on the renovated Bankstown Line, with nearly 15 trains running each way an hour.
During most of the construction, the T3 Bankstown Line will remain in operation.
The T3 Line will be upgraded in the forthcoming June/July school holidays as there will be fewer commuters. For major upgrade works, the section between Sydenham and Bankstown will be shut from 28 June to 11 July.
During this period, rail replacement bus services will be provided to the public.
The metro stated that the other contracts will be granted later this year.
