North West. Six firms express interest

Six local and international companies have expressed interest in building 15.5 kilometres of tunnelling for the $8.5 billion North West Rail Link. China Rail 15th Bureau Group Australia, a company controlled by the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation, is among the contenders. The official calling of tenders will be called in October. The contract will be awarded in the second half of 2013, according to The Australian Financial Review.

North West, No federal funding for link

The NSW government’s planned $8.5 billion, 36-kilometre North West Rail Link has not been included for federal funding in Intrastructure Australia’s six “ready to proceed” priority infrastructure.projects. The project has been listed as an “early stage” one requiring more work. “This is a joke,” the Weekend Australian Financial Review reported NSW Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, as saying. Michael Deegan, of Infrastructure Australia, said the agency looked forward to seeing the government’s long-term transport plan, due latter this month.

North West. Concern over link's tunnels

When tunnels for the North West Rail Link are finished in just over four years, they will have an internal diameter of about 6.1 metres, too small for the type of trains used in Sydney, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said the decision to bore smaller tunnels was not about saving money. But the commitment to smaller tunnels has sparked fears among some transport planners that, for the sake of a few centimetres on either side, the government could be forever locking off transport options. This is because the size of the tunnels may not affect only the type of trains that use the North West Rail Link.

Region. Payments to private sector

The NSW government will make regular payments to the private sector for more than a decade to o[perate the planned $8.5 billion North West Rail Link as well as providing significant funds during construction of the project. Stations on the existing Epping to Chatswood rail line will be upgraded to run single deck trains.

North West. Payments to private sector

The NSW government will make regular payments to the private sector for more than a decade to operate the planned $8.5 billion North West Rail Link as well as providing significant funds during construction of the project. Stations on the existing Epping to Chatswood rail line will be upgraded to run single deck trains.

North West. Hundreds at rail briefing

More than 320 people representing 170 national and international firms attended a North West Rail Link briefing on the multi-million dollar tender process to build the rail link. The overseas companies attending included those from the the UK, Spain,China, France and Italy.

North West. Private company for rail link

Trains on the North West Rail Link will be the first in Sydney to be run by a private company, under a plan for ''Sydney's Rail Future'' unveiled yesterday by the state government. But the government will break a pledge to allow trains from the north-west to travel all the way to Sydney's CBD; commuters will change at Chatswood. The government also committed to a second harbour rail crossing and the conversion of large parts of the network to single-deck train operations.

North West. Submissions closing soon

Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, said the community had until May 21 to have their have their say on the first environmental impact statement (EIS) for the North West Rail Link. Ms Berejiklian said more than 500 people attended five public information sessions across the North West for the first EIS. Latest figures reveal more than 3100 people have been to the North West Rail Link’s Community Information Centre, at Castle Hill, since it opened last July. “We’re moving full steam ahead with a total of 15 major tenders and 25 contracts awarded for a wide variety of works on the North West Rail Link,” Ms Berejiklian said

North West. Rail link to Richmond - one day

The NSW government will reserve a transport corridor to allow the planned North-West Rail Link to one day connect to the Richmond Line. The government said so far 15 major tenders and 25 contracts have been awarded for a variety of works on the multi-billion dollar North West Rail Link. Major tunnelling work on the planned 23-kilometre line is due to begin in 2014.
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North West. Decision welcomed

The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the government’s decision to preserve public transport corridors in Sydney’s North West saying it signals a new direction in land use and infrastructure planning and represents a down payment on the region’s inevitable future growth.

Region. Investment in rail

Premier Barry O’Farrell will lead trade missions to China, India and the United Arab Emirates this year seeking interest in investment in infrastructures projects, such as, the north-west and south-west rail links.

North West. Push resisted

The NSW government has resisted a push by Infrastructure NSW to allow the private sector to run trains on the planned $8.5 billion North West Rail Link under a proposal that would see the rest of the rail line’s operations outsourced.

North West. 'Pure nonsense'

The headline of an editorial in The Australian Financial Review (December 15) said: “O’Farrell should rethink rail plan.” The paper went on to say: “NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell’s claim that his government’s planned $8.5 billion North West Rail Link is as important to Sydney as the Harbour Bridge is pure nonsense. The project is an expensive misdirection of taxpayers” money that was proposed by the Coalition only to win seats in the area from Labor ant the last state election.”

North West. Business supports rail link

Premier Barry O’Farrell has hit back at claims that the $8.5 billion North West Rail Link is a political project saying business groups supported the 23-kilometre rail line The government is holding an industry briefing on the project in Baulkham Hills today, according to The Australian Financial Review.

North West. Rail link is a political project

Professor David Hughes, an adviser to Infrastructure Australia and involved on the NSW government’s 20-year transport plan, has described the O’Farrell government’s $8.5 billion north-west rail link as an “absolutely” political project, saying a high-speed busway would deliver the same result for one-fifth of the price tag. He said the project “struggles” on a cost-benefit analysis, according to The Australian Financial Review. Professor Hughes heads the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.

North West. Rail link

An announcement about the final route and cost of the north-west rail link is expected this week, possibly as early as today, according to the Sydney Morning Herald It will confirm the line as a 23-kilometre extension to the heavy rail network from Epping to Rouse Hill in north-west Sydney. The cost of the project, which will involve a 15-kilometre tunnel, the largest built in Sydney, will be about $8 billion.

Castle Hill. Briefing on rail link

More than 300 representatives from leading national and international construction and infrastructure firms registered for the high level briefing in Castle Hill to hear Premier, Barry O’Farrell, and Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, at a major industry briefing on the North West Rail Link The 23-kilometre line will extend from Epping to Rouse Hill, and will feature at least six new stations as well as major park and ride and bus interchange facilities. It will require approximately 15-kilometres of tunnelling, making it Sydney’s longest rail tunnelling project.

North West. Major briefing on rail link

Premier Barry O’Farrell and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian addressed the first major industry brifing for the NorthWest Rail Link, which is estimated to cost between $6 billion and $8 billion. The briefing attracted more than 300 representatives from construction and engineering companies, financiers, accounting and law firms.

North-West. Keen interest in rail link

The NSW government’s $8 billion North-West Rail Link has attracted keen interest from accounting firms, consultants and banks vying to provide financial advice to the state’s biggest infrastructure project “We’re very happy that we’ve got such a strong field,” said Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, in the Australian Financial Review.

North West. Government seeks financial adviser

The state government has released tender documents which show the its wants to appoint a financial adviser to sound out interest in the North West Rail Link among at least four local and four overseas banks and four big infrastructure investors. The adviser will then prepare a report comparing the cost of a government-funded rail link with a privately funded line. The north-west rail link, a 23 kilometre line to service 300,000 people, will cost an estimated $8 billion to build.