AUSTRALIA: Victoria’s Department of Transport & Planning has shortlisted three consortia for the next contract to operate and maintain Melbourne’s passenger rail network.
They are:
- Go Places Melbourne (Go-Ahead Australia, Acciona Rail and Tokyo Metro);
- RATP Dev JH Downer (RATP Dev, John Holland and Downer);
- Melbourne Grow (MTR Corp Australia, CRRC and DT Infrastructure).
The shortlisted bidders announced on February 26 now have six months to develop detailed proposals outlining how they would operate and maintain more than 2 000 daily services, 1 000 km of track, seven depots and more than 220 stations with nearly 7 000 employees.
The Department said ‘we’re looking for a world class operator for a world class network’, with focus on punctuality, improved accessibility and innovation to deliver ‘a world class customer experience, seamlessly connecting passengers with the world’s largest tram network, regional rail, buses and airport links’.
The services have been operated by the Metro Trains Melbourne joint venture of MTR Corp, John Holland Group and UGL Rail since 2009. The next contract, designated Melbourne Train Refranchising 5, is due to begin in late 2027 and would run for up to 15 years.
