20 December 2018

CRL moves to single Alliance to deliver stations, tunnels and rail systems

City Rail Link Ltd (CRLL) today announced that it intends to proceed with a single Alliance to deliver the stations, tunnels and rail systems – including the C7 Rail Systems Contract.

CRLL Chief Executive Dr Sean Sweeney says that a single alliance will deliver positive outcomes and significant opportunities for the project.

The decision follows the announcement that RCR Tomlinson and more recently RCR infrastructure (NZ) had gone into voluntary administration. RCR Infrastructure (NZ) Ltd forms part of the Systems Alliance (C7 consortium) that has been awarded the Interim Project Alliance Agreement (IPAA) that is currently delivering the design for the C7 Systems Contract.

“We were notified on 21 November that RCR Tomlinson was in voluntary administration with administrators undertaking a trade sale of profitable parts of the business – including RCR Infrastructure NZ. Since then we have worked hard to understand the impacts on the project and identify the best way forward to complete the C7 works.

“We have determined that the best-possible response is for the current C7 consortium to continue to deliver the design elements for the C7 systems. However, they will no longer submit a tender for the C7 construction works which will instead be incorporated into the C3 Main Station and Tunnels Alliance - due to start construction mid-next year.

The C3 contract is currently in the final stages of a tender process with two shortlisted tenderers, the Link Joint Venture with Downer, Vinci Grands Projets, Soletanche Bachy, AECOM, Tonkin and Taylor and WSP Opus and a joint venture between CPB Contractors, UGL, Beca, McMillan Jacob and Jacobs.

The contract is expected to be awarded by the end of April next year and the successful tenderer will now deliver the stations, tunnels and the rail systems for the City Rail Link project.

Dr Sweeney says that delivering City Rail Link on schedule is a key priority and was a critical factor in deciding to go with a single Alliance. He adds that delivering the works as a single Alliance will deliver many benefits for the project.

“By shifting to a single Alliance model now we are ensuring no time lost on the procurement programme as a result of the RCR administration process. It also removes the need for major interface coordination which means less risk and it reduces demands on resources across our delivery partners.”

Dr Sweeney says that the C7 Consortium will continue to complete the design work which is likely to be finished by March next year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Video: How the CRL will be a gamechanger for Auckland https://youtu.be/hU93-rSdim4

For more details about CRL go to our website https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/

© Scoop Media