Gamuda shortlisted for A$20bil rail project in Sydney

KUALA LUMPUR: A joint venture between Gamuda Australia and Laing O’Rourke has been shortlisted for the first stages of the A$20 billion Sydney Metro West project.

Gamuda Bhd, in a statement today, said an official announcement from New South Wales transport and roads minister Andrew Constance had stated 10,000 jobs would be directly created by the project, which will connect Greater Parramatta with the CBD.

The Gamuda Australia-Laing O’Rourke joint venture is one of three successful consortia shortlisted for the project’s first two major tunnelling packages.

“Gamuda has more than 20 years of experience in delivering world-class tunnelling projects around the world. We also have an excellent track record in creating jobs and training during the project delivery.

“In 2011, Gamuda set up Asia’s first tunnelling training academy which has since trained thousands of tunnel engineers and skilled superintendents.

“We have plans to replicate the tunnel training academy in New South Wales to upskill the local construction workforce,” Gamuda said.

The first stage of the project will now see Gamuda’s joint venture tendering for the central tunnelling package.

It will involve the construction of the twin 11km tunnels from the Bays Precinct to Sydney Olympic Park.

The two unsuccessful joint ventures will then compete for the western tunnelling package, the twin 9km tunnels from Sydney Olympic Park to Westmead.

Both are sizable packages and the successful tenderer for the central tunnelling package will not be eligible for the western tunnelling package.

In a boost to the local economy, early works are expected to begin on the Sydney Metro West project later this year (subject to planning approval), with the aim of having tunnel boring machines in the ground by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Source: NST