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ODG Completes Electrical Infrastructure for SSR Project in Perth

02/04/2008

Leading rail infrastructure company O’Donnell Griffin (ODG) has completed the critical electrical infrastructure for Australia’s largest new rail line – Perth’s $1.56 billion Southern Suburbs Rail Project.

The project was officially opened in late December 2007 and extends the South-west Metropolitan Railway, another 69 kilometres, from Perth to Mandurah.

ODG’s role included the management, design, procurement and construction of the Traction Power, Signalling, Communications, Overhead Lines (Construct Only) and LV Power Systems.

Commissioned by the WA Minister for Transport, the Public Transport Authority and project managers New Metro Rail, the rapid transit regional railway links local communities via strategically spaced and purpose-designed transit stations.

As the principal sub-contractor, ODG completed contracts of a final estimated value of $102.96 million, including signalling communications traction power and overheads and management, procurement and installation works.

ODG’s major suppliers were Ansaldo Rail Signalling equipment, Siemens OHL and TP equipment, Olex Cable Supply, Nexans Cable Supply and Silcar Communications.

The works took place between the start of February 2006 and 23 December 2007, with more than 300 people employed by ODG on the project. More than 550,000 man-hours are estimated to have been used to complete the ODG component of the project.

“O’Donnell Griffin’s record on the project, fulfilling substantial and demanding requirements in a complex environment attests to the company’s growing strength and credentials in the rail sector,” said Mr David Lee, Chief Executive of Norfolk’s Electrical and Communications Division. ODG is part of the Norfolk Group, an ASX listed company.

The project’s completion follows ODG’s announcement last month that it has formed Australia’s first independent specialist rail division – O’Donnell Griffin Rail. The new dedicated rail division will be targeting major contracts as part of the $23 billion currently earmarked for national rail infrastructure development in the next 10-15 years.

SSR links to the existing rail network via the tunnel that connects from Narrows Bridge in the South via Esplanade and William street underground stations, via the Roe Street dive to the existing Northern suburb lines. The project required linking the new line to the underground system built in central Perth and necessitated the complete shutdown of the rail system for four days in November.

Mr David Howe, General Manager O’Donnell Griffin Rail, said “The most challenging part of ODG’s involvement in the project was the logistics of building a rail network in the middle of a freeway and transportation of 300 resources to different work fronts across 70 kilometres of construction site”.

“This task became even more difficult once the track had been laid as the only access to a majority of the rail was via a purpose-built Hi-rail plant.”

The project work-site for ODG was in excess of 70 km long by 40m (max) wide, Mr Howe said. Personnel had to work in between the lanes of Kwinana Freeway, Perth’s major freeway, making safety processes and management crucial.

Overhead and signalling modifications had to be carried out to the existing, operating rail system in the Perth Yards to integrate with the new Mandurah line. This meant dozens of isolations and major shut-downs over a 12-month period.

All up, 750,000 metres of cable was laid by ODG on the project, with 500,000 metres of overhead lines installed, with 2200 masts supporting the overhead line system. There are 160 new and 10 upgraded signals.

Two electrical 132kv to 25kv sub-stations substations were built as part of the project, said Mr Howe, one at Glen Iris and one at Parklands, with 25,000 volts running through overhead cables.

The completion of the SSR means that a journey from central Perth to Mandurah will take about 60 minutes, and 44 minutes to Rockingham. There will be an expected 30,000 passenger journeys each day.

Mr Howe said it was a credit to ODG’s project management that the large $100-million-plus contractual works were completed to the final scheduled date, and in an intensive multi-partnership environment.

“We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate those employees that were part of the SSRP team. Their efforts have lead to the successful completion of the project” said Mr Howe.

Aside from the SSRP, ODG’s recent projects include BHP’s Rapid Growth Project – Rail, Regional Fast Rail (Victoria) and the Southern Alliance rail and signalling upgrades from Sydney to Melbourne, with rail work in recent years contributing towards the sustained growth of the business.

SSR SIGNALLING SCOPE