Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has appointed Leighton Contractors for an Alliance contract worth AUD150 million ($165.7 million) to carry out the final stage of the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) in Sydney, Australia. The scope of work involves construction of a 36km dedicated freight line between Macarthur and Sefton in southern Sydney. The SSFL will install a third track in the rail corridor specifically for freight services, allowing passenger and freight services to operate independently.
Construction work on the project is expected to commence in October 2011, and is set to be completed in late 2012. The contract builds on Leighton Contractors’ existing national rail capability which includes projects such as the Upper Hunter Valley Alliance in NSW with ARTC, the Kingsgrove to Revesby Quadruplication and Richmond Line Alliance in Sydney, as well as the Westall Upgrade in Victoria.
ARTC CEO, John Fullerton, said the SSFL will allow more freight trains to operate between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, providing positive outcomes for the economy, the environment and road safety. He also added that each freight train means 100 less trucks on its interstate routes and, with rail consuming far less fuel than road transport, the project will be helping to reduce carbon emissions.