The contract has been awarded for the delivery of Inland Rail’s eight remaining construction sites in Victoria.
John Holland has been engaged to complete the Inland Rail Beveridge to Albury – Tranche 2 section of the project which includes construction at Benalla, Euroa, Wandong, Hume Freeway-Tallarook and Seymour, and three further sites in Broadford.
The $470 million contract will see John Holland replace bridges and lower tracks to allow the safe passage of double-stacked freight trains from Brisbane to Melbourne.
In addition, Euroa and Benalla railway station precincts will also undergo major transformations making them safer and more accessible for rail passengers with new platforms, pedestrian underpasses, and additional parking.
Beveridge to Albury Tranche 2 mobilisation and planning will start immediately, construction will commence in early 2025 and it is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
John Holland was selected based on their experience delivering major civil and rail projects including Inland Rail Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 in 2023 and the North East Rail Line Upgrade (NERL) in 2021. In addition, John Holland is part of the consortium building the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project.
Inland Rail CEO, Nick Miller, said that this is a major step forward for the Inland Rail project in Victoria with all 12 sites now under contract.
“Tranche 1 sites at Glenrowan, Wangaratta, Seymour are progressing well, and Barnawartha North is completed,” Mr Miller said.
“John Holland is currently carrying out early works and site investigations before kicking off Tranche 2 construction early in the new year.
“Inland Rail is keen to involve local people and businesses in the project and to maximise the economic and social benefits for communities along the route.”
John Holland Executive General Manager – Rail and Transport, Steve Butcher, said that this project builds on john Holland’s proud partnership with Inland Rail to deliver transformative rail projects – allowing it to leverage its skills and experience in providing end-to-end rail solutions.
“We want to prioritise local jobs and industry when construction kicks off next year to ensure we’ve got the best possible representation of the regional communities we’re building in,” Mr Butcher said.
“We look forward to working closely with these local communities to deliver this transformational project, which will support the future reliability of Australia’s freight network.”
Featured image: Pictured are (from left to right) Inland Rail Delivery Director Ed Walker, John Holland Project Director Scott Brown, Inland Rail Project Director Scott Anderson and John Holland Construction Manager Dean Valentic. Image credit: John Holland.
