Network Rail Consulting wins Australian contract

Network Rail Consulting has been appointed by Transport for New South Wales as independent safety assessor for the design and delivery of the NSW Government’s high priority rail project, the North West Rail Link in Sydney.

A subsidiary of Network Rail set up in 2012 to harness the vast range of skills and experience available within Network Rail and to demonstrate British expertise overseas, Network Rail Consulting will deliver independent safety assessment and advisory services for this flagship A$8.3bn (approx. £4.8bn) project.

Network Rail Consulting will provide independent safety assessor services during the two major construction contracts, the Tunnel and Station Civil Works contract and the Surface and Viaduct Civil Works contract, as well as safety advisory services in relation to the Operations, Trains and Systems contract.

Australia’s largest transport project

The 38km North West Rail Link is Australia’s largest current public transport project and the biggest public transport project in Sydney since construction of the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge almost a century ago. The North West Rail Link will be a fully-automated rapid transit system – an Australian first incorporating state-of-the-art customer safety and security measures.

It includes eight new stations, 15km of tunnels from Epping to Bella Vista, a 4km elevated ‘skytrain’ viaduct between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill, conversion of the 4km Epping to Chatswood Rail Link to deliver high frequency rapid transit services and upgrading of some 14km of existing railway.

“This commission heralds the start of a long-term working relationship with Transport for New South Wales and coincides with the recent opening of our Sydney office as a focus for our work in this vibrant rail market. We believe we have much to offer other railways around the world and look forward to helping further develop rail in Australia and New Zealand, sharing the best of British engineering and ingenuity.”
Nigel Ash, managing director, Network Rail Consulting

Network Rail Consulting

Network Rail Consulting Ltd is a subsidiary of Network Rail. It aims to harness the vast range of skills and experience available within Network Rail to demonstrate British expertise overseas and be an international ambassador for Britain’s rail industry. It will also help channel innovation back into our core business, helping deliver a better value railway for Britain.

It sells the full range of rail expertise including:

• Advisory: Re-structuring, privatisation, institutional, policy development and reviews, audits, procurement, bid support, rail operations including retail optimisation
• Strategic planning: Transport master plans, market assessments, demand forecasting, project appraisal and route utilisation strategies
• Asset management: Developing conceptual asset management frameworks, route asset management plans
• Operations and maintenance: Practical operating advice, timetabling and simulation modelling, maintenance regimes and outsourced operate and maintain contracts
• Infrastructure projects: Outputs definition, pre-feasibility, feasibility, project and programme management