WSP’s team is working with Beon Energy Solutions to provide detailed design services for three major substations, or Bulk Power Supply Points (BPSPs), which is vital electrical infrastructure for building and operating the new Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East.
SRL East, running from Cheltenham to Box Hill, is the south-eastern section of a 90 km rail loop extending around Melbourne, linking major train services from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line via Melbourne Airport. The loop is designed to enable Victorians to move around Melbourne without having to transit through the city centre. This is expected to slash travel times and make it faster and easier for Victorians to get wherever they need to be.
The 26 km SRL East corridor will be built as a twin-tunnel, standalone line with six new underground stations fully integrated into the existing public transport network and serviced by a fleet of state-of-the-art trains.
The BPSPs are located near Burwood Station, within SRL’s primary stabling and maintenance yard (Southern Stabling Yard) and the other within Monash Construction Substation. They’re needed initially to supply power for the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) during construction. Once construction is complete, the Burwood and Southern Stabling Yard BPSPs will distribute electricity to safely and reliably operate SRL’s trains, stations, and signalling and communications equipment.
Design of the BPSPs will draw on a range of WSP’s services, including complex electrical systems, building services, systems engineering and safety assurance (SESA), structural, mechanical, hydraulics and fire safety engineering, as well as project and design management.
Joe Ramsbottom, WSP’s Senior Project Manager, said “We are looking forward to bringing our technical and project delivery strengths to this flagship Victorian project connecting local communities.”
“WSP maintain a strong capability for supporting the needs of rail clients and transmission utilities,” he said, adding that “Our multidisciplinary solutions bolster our offerings across complex substation and rail systems design.”
WSP has also delivered several detailed design projects in the renewables and utilities sectors with rail clients and projects including the Auckland City Rail Link, Mariyung (previously Kang Angy) Maintenance Facility Road 5 and Knapsack section hut.
“At WSP, we appreciate the opportunities involved in the transformation of rail networks, the evolution of rail technologies, and the increase in client and community expectations,” said Joe. “We want to create and sustain value for our clients and communities across Victoria whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety.”
With Melbourne continuing to grow, SRL is expected to make public transport more accessible and convenient, ease road congestion, and create many new social and economic opportunities for Victorians.
WSP looks forward to contributing to the SRL East project and seeing Melbourne’s continuing evolution as one of Australia’s greatest cities.
Construction of SRL East, which will create up to 8,000 jobs, started in June 2022 and trains are expected to be running by 2035.
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