Contract awarded for US$3.6 billion rail project

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has appointed Regionerate Rail as the preferred bidder for the development of the Gowrie to Kagaru section of Inland Rail in Queensland, Australia.

Regionerate Rail is a consortium comprising Plenary Group, Clough, GS Engineering and Construction, Webuild and Service Stream (Photo: Webuild)

The contract is worth more than AUD$5 billion (US$3.6 billion) for the design and construct elements – approximately US$1.4 billion is attributable to Webuild.

The section between Gowrie and Kagaru will be approximately 128km of new and upgraded rail track and will include a 6.2km tunnel through the Great Dividing Range. The public-private partnership (PPP) contract will also include a 25 year maintenance phase after the completion of the section between Gowrie to Kagaru.

Pietro Salini, Webuild CEO, said, “For us, Australia is one of the most strategic markets in the world, given the opportunities that it offers in sustainable mobility and renewable energy.

“We are proud of Webuild’s involvement in Inland Rail, especially on the most technically complex section of the project. This latest project, after the North East Link in Melbourne, is the result of years of investment made in a country where we aim to consolidate our presence for the long term.”

The Inland Rail project contract is also the second PPP to be signed by Webuild in Australia. In Melbourne, the Group and its consortium partners signed a contract for the North East Link PPP Primary Package which is the largest for an infrastructure project in Australia.