Following the Request for Proposal (RFP) released in January of this year, two proponents have been shortlisted to progress to the next stage of bidding for the design and construction of the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line in Western Australia.
“This is another major step forward for the Morley-Ellenbrook Line project, which is the final piece for transport infrastructure in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth.
“Residents in our growing north-east suburbs like Ellenbrook, Dayton, Ballajura and Brabham will soon be able to enjoy a faster commute to the Perth CBD thanks to this major infrastructure project,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.
The two shortlisted bidders are the Ellenbrook Alliance, which is comprised of CPB Contractors and Downer EDI, and the MELconnx Consortium, comprised of Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction.
The bidders are now asked to submit details on how they will be delivering the project.
The contract is set to be awarded later this year and it will cover the design, construction and commissioning of an electric railway, together with supporting systems, as well as five new stations.
This design and build contract is the largest of four work packages to be awarded for the Morley-Ellenbrook Line development. The three other contracts are for the new Bayswater Station project, Tonkin Gap enabling works project, and forward works contract.
The Morley-Ellenbrook Line project will deliver a new 21-kilometre rail line that will run from the Midland Line at Bayswater then up the middle of Tonkin Highway, through land north of Marshall Road, along the western side of Drumpellier Drive (formerly New Lord Street) and ending in Ellenbrook town centre.
This project will also deliver five new stations at Morley, Noranda, Malaga, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook, with options to build a future station at Bennett Springs East.
As part of the major redevelopment of Bayswater Station, early works are already underway. This station is going to form a junction for the Morley-Ellenbrook Line, Forrestfield-Airport Link and Midland Line.
In addition, the Morley-Ellenbrook Line project is anticipated to create thousands of jobs during its construction.
“Leading up to procurement, we engaged with hundreds of local businesses and subcontractors so they were prepared to bid for the huge range of work available through all stages of the project.
“Many people have eagerly awaited this crucial METRONET project and procurement makes it real. Soon we will see the real benefits – jobs, training opportunities and faster commute times,” Premier Mark McGowan said.
Once completed, travelling from Ellenbrook to the CBD through the Morley-Ellenbrook Line is expected to take 30 minutes, about half of the current travel time.
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Source: Government of Western Australia; METRONET (1, 2)