Northwest Rail Link

Description Of Project

The $8.3 billion North West Rail Link (NWRL) created a vital rail connection between Rouse Hill and the greater Sydney Rail Network, and was the first step in the NSW government’s city changing plan to provide fast, safe, efficient, single deck train services into the heart of Sydney via the Sydney’s Rail Future concept. The project consisted of twin 15km tunnels from Bella Vista to Epping – Australia’s longest rail tunnels, as well as the delivery of eight new stations.

SYSTRA Bamser Involvement

Tunnel Constructability Services

SYSTRA Bamser provided specialist tunnel constructability services as part of the Integrated Project Team in two specific phases aligned with the TfNSW development and procurement process.

Our services included:

• Working collaboratively to develop the tunnel and underground sections of the Product Definition Report and Constructability Report forming part of the Construction
• Plan and informing the EIS
• Assisting in the RfP and evaluation process for the Tunnels and Stations Civil (TSC) package, $1.15B.
  The services considered some of the following;
• Construction plans and sub plans – deliverables required to inform the cost planning and programming teams;
• Costing and programming exercises;
• Submissions to the Value Engineer Committee;
• Reviews of concept design packages;
• Tunnels and Underground Structures Constructability Report;
• Technical assessment of optimised construction methodology, through detailed tunnel construction planning;
• Technical assessment and subsequent quantifying the tunnel strategy options, including hydrogeology interface and maintainability documentation input;
• Input and responses to Public Submissions, during the EIS exhibition period;
• Technical advice and assessment of temporary services, site staging, and site layout;
• Traffic planning (construction) assessments regarding site internal layout;
• Shadow Tender cost estimates;
• Transaction documentation advice.

TBM Construction Audit

SYSTRA Bamser were engaged on the project during the delivery phase to assist TfNSW with auditing the contractor’s works to measure compliance to a number of specified documents and provide actionable advice for implementation to improve the outcomes for the project.

Specifically, SYSTRA Bamser provided support in the following areas:

• Critical review of the project tunnel and safety compliance documentation;
• Identification and review of other relevant standards and industry best practice for the works;
• Provide comment on the adequacy and suitability of the above documents;
• Assist with developing a suitable audit tool;
• Conduct two site inspection audits of the TBM’s during operations (May 2015, July 2015);
• Provide a report on the audit findings, including actionable advice;
• Some specific audit target areas included:
  o People/plant interfaces;
  o Access and egress provisions including lighting;
  o Transport and materials handling;
  o Mechanical lifting and vacuum lifting devices;
  o Grouting operations and segment installation;
  o Service and maintenance tasks;
  o Temporary services and management of stored energy;
  o Electrical, fire and life safety;
  o Emergency processes, preparedness, and response including emergency drills;
  o TBM operating procedures, monitoring, and control of ground conditions and settlements;
  o Communication systems.