The Gold Coast’s light rail operator GoldLinQ will evaluate tenders from some of the biggest rail companies hoping to construct the Stage 2 Gold Coast Light Rail. Image: Simon Morris
The Queensland government has sounded the horn on the construction of State 2 of the Gold Coast Light Rail by taking delivery of Request for Tender documentation from three short-listed bidders.
In the government’s ambitious light rail extension in the Gold Coast’s existing public transport system, it has received tender documents from three short-listed bidders including Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd, John Holland Queensland Pty Ltd, and GamesLinQ (A Downer EDI Works and BMD Constructions Joint Venture).
The successful tenderer will deliver the 7.3 kilometre light rail alignment, which will run from the Helensvale heavy rail station and bus interchange (Sydneysiders might recognise this as a similar arrangement at Central Station), to the Gold Coast University Hospital and connect to the Gold Coast University Hospital light rail station.
It is currently unknown what the final cost of Stage 2 will be, but the figures should be available once GoldLinQ has completed the competitive tender process.
This process took place over 12 weeks with more than 80 meetings with tenderers, including 27 interactive workshops, and more than 260 formal answers and 3,000 project documents supplied to the tenderers.
The announcement of these short-listed bidders is a big development in the Gold Coast Light Rail project, especially in the lead up to the Light Rail 2016 conference in Melbourne on 24th-25th February, 2016, where industry leaders and experts will gather to discuss the trends and challenges in implementing light rail systems and managing them.
The Gold Coast’s nearby neighbour the Sunshine Coast is also presently looking at building its own light rail system, winning an award from the Planning Institute of Australia for its feasibility study.
Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games Stirling Hinchliffe said the Palaszczuk government is seeking three value for money bids and an assurance that construction can be completed in late 2017 or early 2018 to ensure the trams and integrated public transport system is fully operational in time for 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“Stage 2 is a vital infrastructure project for the state that is expected to generate 1,000 direct and indirect jobs,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
GoldLinQ Chairman John Witheriff said the team would now evaluate the detailed proposals against a range of criteria to ensure a well-informed decision is made on the preferred bidder to design and construct Stage 2.
“Following GoldLinQ’s rigorous evaluation process and recommendation to the Queensland government the announcement of the successful tenderer is expected to be made by April 2016, with construction commencing shortly after,” he said.
The selected bidder will construct the infrastructure associated with Stage 2 of the light rail system and will be required to engage with local individuals and businesses to work on the project.
According to the government, the proposed 7.3 kilometre alignment effectively utilises existing road and rail corridors reducing the community and environmental impacts, and delivery timeframes. The new track will run adjacent to the Smith Street Motorway and adjacent to the Gold Coast Rail Line along the inter-regional transport corridor.
