ARTC signs $2.4B in contracts for critical Inland Rail sections
The Inland Rail project has achieved a new milestone with the award of two major civil works contracts for critical sections of tracks in New South Wales and southern Queensland.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has signed a collaborative framework agreement (CFA) with the ACACPB Joint Venture, a 50-50 joint venture formed by CPB Contractors and ACCIONA Construction Australia, for the planning and development of civil works between Narrabri and Narromine in northern New South Wales.
Inland Rail will upgrade 1,100 kilometres of existing rail line and build 600 kilometres of new track to connect missing links between Melbourne and Brisbane. The project is being delivered in 13 sections across 36 local government areas, with the 306 kilometres section between Narromine and Narrabri making up the longest section of track.
The civil works involved include approximately 306 kilometres of new track formation comprising bulk earthworks, drainage, bridge/viaduct structures, materials and logistics management. Subject to planning and environmental approvals, ARTC anticipate that construction activities on this works package will commence late 2022, worth approximately $1.2 billion.
Separately, ARTC has also signed a collaborative framework with Freight Connect – a consortium led by Laing O’Rourke and including FKG Group – for approximately 100 kilometres of civil works from Narrabri through to North Star and across the border to Whetstone in Queensland.
The section will focus on approximately 85 kilometres of existing rail corridor between North Star in New South Wales and Whetstone in Queensland as well as a separate 14 kilometre of new rail corridor south of Moree called Narrabri to North Star Phase 2. Subject to planning and environmental approvals, ARTC anticipate that construction activities on this works package will commence mid 2022, worth approximately $1.2 billion.