A joint venture of Italy’s Salini Impregilo and Australian civil contractor NRW has been selected to deliver the main works for the US$1.4bn Forrestfield-Airport Link in the Western Australian city of Perth.
The Salini Impregilo team beat opposition from two other joint ventures: Forrestfield Connect, comprising Acciona Infrastructure and Ferrovial Agroman of Spain and Dutch contractor BAM, and John Holland, now owned by the China Communications Construction Company, and Leighton, which is ultimately owned by Grupo ACS, also of Spain.
The 8.5km Forrestfield Line will run between the city’s airport and the centre of the city; it will include three stations, and will bring rail services to Perth’s eastern suburbs for the first time.
Dean Nalder, the Western Australian minister for transport, said negotiations to finalise the contract by May 2016 would now begin between the winners and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia.
Nalder said: "We envisage the contractor will mobilise on site in the coming months. This is an incredibly exciting time for a project that will change the way the people of Perth, and in particular Perth’s eastern foothills, travel to our city."
The link is due to open in 2020 with construction starting this year.
Image via Forrestfield Connect
