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The Government of Victoria (Australia) has announced that the Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP) – a consortium led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital – has been selected to build the Metro Tunnel and five new underground stations.

The decision follows an extensive competitive tender process with international construction and tunnelling contractors. As we reported, the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority shotlisted three teams in August 2016 and received bids form the project last April. The other consortia which submitted bids were:

• Continuum Victoria – comprising ACCIONA Infrastructure, Ferrovial Agroman, Honeywell, Downer EDI and Plenary Origination
• Moving Melbourne Together – comprising Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors, Ghella, Salini Impregilo, Serco and Macquarie Capital.

The project will involve the development of two 9-kilometers rail tunnels from South Kensington to South Yarra, travelling underneath Swanston Street in the Central Business District, as part of a new Sunbury to Cranbourne/Pakenham line.

The project will also build five new underground stations, each with its own identity. They will include wider platforms, more natural light and sweeping arches, bringing world-class urban design to the heart of Melbourne and its train network.

There will be revitalized open space above ground at all five stations, and additional entrances to reduce crowding on major streets in the CBD, including two entrances at City Square, and at Swanston Street, Flinders Street, Federation Square, Franklin Street and La Trobe Street.

In Parkville, a new entrance will be built on the doorstep of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, giving thousands of people from Melbourne and regional Victoria better access to the Hospital.

Walkways at Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations will be put underground, allowing passengers to change easily between the Metro Tunnel stations and the City Loop, creating a true, international-style metro network.

Domain station will feature a floating timber canopy and sit below the new tram interchange on St Kilda Road, relieving the pressure on the world’s busiest tram corridor.

A total of sixty five brand new and high capacity trains will run on the line, freeing up more trains and more space all over Melbourne.

The AUD6 billion (US$4.5 billion) project is the biggest public transport project in Victoria’s history.

Early works are well underway, with major construction on the tunnel and stations expected to start next year.