THE Australian Rail Track Corporation, ARTC, has awarded construction company McConnell Dowell a $200 million contract to start work on the first Inland Rail sites in Victoria, including at Seymour.
Upgrades to the Seymour-Avenel Road bridge in Seymour are among a first tranche of Inland Rail works that also includes works on the Murray Valley Highway, Wangaratta Station and Beaconsfield Parade in Glenrowan.
Inland Rail aims to link ports in Melbourne and Brisbane via a 1700-kilometre rail freight network, allowing double-stacked trains to traverse Australia’s east coast.
ARTC Victoria and South Australia projects general manager Ed Walker said with environmental approvals in place and McConnell Dowell appointed, Inland Rail’s construction was set to deliver local stimulus and support hundreds of jobs in Victoria.
He said an estimated 170 people would be directly employed with McConnell Dowell over the life of the project – expected to be complete in 2025.
“McConnell Dowell has already carried out initial design and preparatory works at four sites on the existing north-east rail line to enable Inland Rail double-stacked freight trains to run between Beveridge and Albury,” he said.
“Now they have been confirmed as the construction contractor for sites in the first tranche, they will get on with the job of building the designs they have been developing.
“Construction activity will bring opportunities for businesses to participate in delivering the work, but there will also be a positive flow-on effect for motels, retailers, cafes and restaurants through to a range of service providers who will reap the benefits of the project.”
Mr Walker said Inland Rail selected McConnell Dowell based on the company’s experience delivering major projects including multi-million-dollar rail, bridge and road projects in Australia and New Zealand.
“[This] announcement brings a new wave of enthusiasm to north-east Victoria, with construction on this vital project set to start toward the end of this year,” he said.
“ARTC remains committed to meaningful and respectful consultation with the communities in north-east Victoria as we continue through delivery activities for these sites.”
McConnell Dowell will complete signalling works, track slews and overhead utilities works as part of the contract.
McConnell Dowell T2A project manager Tom Foley said the first tranche of Inland Rail in Victoria would bring tens of millions of dollars of investment into towns such as Seymour, Wangaratta, Glenrowan and Barnawartha.
“This project will create fresh opportunities for existing businesses, while supporting the establishment and growth of new businesses,” he said.
“Our team has worked night and day with the ARTC Inland Rail team over the past two years to make this vision a reality, we are very much looking forward to getting boots on the ground and building infrastructure that will change the way that freight moves around Australia for our future generations.”
For more information on Inland Rail in Victoria, people can visit inlandrail.artc.com.au/where-we-go/projects/tottenham-to-albury.