Webuild and Partners to Drive Melbourne’s Sustainable Transit Future with Major Rail Loop Project

Suburban Rail Loop Project Infographic

(IN BRIEF) Webuild, leading a joint venture with GS E&C and Bouygues Construction, has signed a AU$1.7 billion contract to construct the Tunnels North segment of Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East, aimed at enhancing sustainable public transit options for the city’s growing population. The project involves creating two parallel tunnels, totaling nearly 10 kilometers, between Box Hill and Glen Waverley stations, with construction starting in 2026. This development, part of a larger 90-kilometer orbital rail line, is expected to reduce road congestion significantly by 2035. Webuild’s presence in Melbourne, with a history of major infrastructure projects, further underscores its role in reshaping the city’s transportation landscape. The company’s involvement in similar Australian projects highlights its ongoing contributions to the country’s energy and infrastructure sectors.

(PRESS RELEASE) MILAN, 11-Nov-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Webuild and its partners have solidified a significant milestone for Melbourne’s future transit landscape through the newly signed AU$1.7 billion (€1 billion) contract for the Tunnels North segment of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East. This contract, secured by the Terra Verde joint venture in which Webuild holds a 33.5% lead stake, will bring major advancements to Melbourne’s sustainable mobility infrastructure, offering long-term benefits for its rapidly expanding population.

This project, commissioned by the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, involves the construction of two parallel tunnels spanning nearly 10 kilometers, connecting the planned Box Hill and Glen Waverley stations. Designed for efficiency and accessibility, the contract covers the excavation of 39 cross passages, two station boxes, two tunnel access shafts, and a combined intervention and ventilation shaft. Tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) will power the excavation, reinforcing Webuild’s leading role in global tunneling projects.

The SRL, spanning 90 kilometers in a loop around Melbourne, is set to transform commuting by alleviating road congestion and offering sustainable transit options. SRL East, now in its construction phase, will begin tunneling operations in 2026, with passenger service anticipated by 2035. This phase alone is projected to remove over 600,000 cars from Melbourne’s streets daily, benefitting over 80% of the city’s residents.

Webuild’s history in Melbourne goes back to its predecessor’s involvement in constructing tunnels for the, a key infrastructure addition from 1985, as well as current contributions to the North East Link freeway project. The SRL East contract reflects Webuild’s continued commitment to Melbourne’s infrastructure, bringing its global tunneling expertise and 63 TBMs, with 16 deployed on projects from Australia to the United States.

Ranked among Australia’s top five foreign construction firms by Engineering News-Record, Webuild and its local subsidiary are involved in renewable energy, transportation, and various other sectors aligned with Australia’s energy transition goals. Current projects include the massive Sydney Metro line expansion in New South Wales, along with Western Australia’s largest urea plant for fertilizer production and a critical upgrade to the state’s primary wastewater treatment facility.

In each endeavor, Webuild brings global expertise and innovation to Australia’s infrastructure, setting new standards in sustainable urban development and public mobility.

Webuild is a global leader in the design and construction of large, complex projects in the sectors of sustainable mobility, hydropower, water management and production, and green buildings. For many years, the recognized leader in the water sector, also ranking among the Top 10 international players in Australia, Europe and the US, the Group has consolidated experience in 50 countries. In almost 120 years of applied engineering on more than 3,200 projects, the Webuild Group has built 14,140 kilometres of rail and metro lines, 82,533 kilometres of roads and highways, 1,020 kilometres of bridges and viaducts, 3,408 kilometres of tunnels, and 313 dams and hydropower plants. Projects include the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Long Beach International Gateway in California, the Third Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey, the skytrain bridge of the metropolitan train line north-west of Sydney, the Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and metro lines in Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Milan, Doha and Ryadh. Projects under construction include the New Genoa Breakwater, the Brenner Base Tunnel, Line C of Rome’s metro, the Genoa-Milan high-capacity railway line, and railway lines on the HS Naples-Bari and HC Palermo-Catania-Messina railway routes, the Snowy 2.0 hydroelectric project in Australia, and the Trojena project for NEOM in Saudi Arabia. As of June 30, 2024, the Webuild Group with approximately 90,000 people, achieved a total backlog of €65 billion, with over 90% of its construction backlog related to projects linked to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As of December 31, 2023, the Group achieved €10 billion in total revenues. Webuild, subject to the direction and coordination of Salini Costruttori S.p.A., is headquartered in Italy and is listed on the Milan stock exchange (WBD; WBD.MI; WBD:IM). Since 2021, it is member of the MIB ESG, the index of Italian companies with the best ESG practices.

Webuild and Partners to Drive Melbourne’s Sustainable Transit Future with Major Rail Loop Project

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