MTR corporation has worked closely with Sydney Metro to help deliver the exciting new project for the city.
The next component in the delivery of Australia’s biggest public transport project is edging closer to completion, and the MTR corporation has been a critical cog in the process.
On completion, Sydney Metro will include a network of four metro lines, 46 stations and 113 kilometres of new metro rail.
MTR Australia is currently completing the Testing and Commissioning program for the city section of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project, ahead of the line opening later this year. The city section covers the construction and operation of the Sydney Metro rail line from Chatswood (where the current Metro North West Line finishes) through to Sydenham.
This 15.5km section of the rail line is almost entirely comprises underground rail tunnels – including beneath Sydney Harbour. New metro stations have been built at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Waterloo, and new underground platforms at Central, with an above-ground metro platform at Sydenham.
MTR corporation partnered with Sydney Metro to deliver the 23 new trains, CBTC, communications and Platform Screen Doors (PSD) systems for the project, as well as the overall system integration. MTR is the majority shareholder of MTS, which will take over operating and maintenance of the line when it opens.
Rail Express spoke with Wai Lau, a deputy project director at MTR, to better understand the work undertaken and how the MTR team is getting ready for the opening.
“I have a been a part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project pretty much since day one,” Lau said.
“I arrived from Hong Kong to work on stage one design and the augmentation and tender, back in 2017. We developed the specifications between all of the different contractors, and our key role was on systems integration.
“Sydney Metro is a gamechanger for Sydney and we have brought a lot of international experience to help ensure its success.”
Experience helped deliver project
For the Sydney Metro project, the challenge was always going to be bringing a fully automated train line to the country for the first time. MTR corporation’s experience delivering similar projects in Hong Kong proved invaluable for Sydney Metro.
“We have been designing, building, operating and handing over railway systems in Hong Kong and other parts of the world,” Lau said.
“The Sydney Metro systems were different, and our role was slightly different. Our role was integrating with other contractors and working closely with those building the stations. We were all pieces of the puzzle.
“As the integrator, we have to stitch together all of the station contracts, and that is where our expertise has been important.”
Lau explained the work they have done on this system is similar to what was done in Hong Kong.
When MTR corporation came onboard, back in 2017, it brought a number of team members across from Hong Kong to assist with the works.
“Many of the original team were relocated from Hong Kong, so this allowed us to hit the ground running,” Lau said.
“After the stage one design, it was obvious the team was going to grow exponentially, and we were able to bring local talent into the team.
“This was a great opportunity for our international team to come together with the local teams and share expertise, to create a local workforce with the knowledge we have gained overseas.”
Flash forward to today and Lau said much of the team working on the project is local, ably supported by the team from Hong Kong.
“We can still lean on those experts overseas, when need be, but we have all of the knowledge here now,” he said. “We have become self-sufficient.”
No replacement for experience
The key for MTR throughout the project was program management, which helped ensure the project ran smoothly. It was a delicate process for MTR, as it worked in and around station contractors as they built the stations.
“As they were constructing, we would go in as the systems contractor to deliver the systems required,” Lau said.
“The complex stations took time to construct and so we knew it was important for us to be dynamic in the work we were doing and when we could do it. We had challenges around COVID, so timelines were constantly adjusting to deal with the unique challenges. That was where MTR’s experience became important. We knew where we could fit into the processes and deliver what we needed, when it was needed.”
GOA4 trains
The next section of the Sydney Metro project will see automated trains running through the city for the first time.
The degree of automation is indicated by the Grade of Automation (GoA), up to GoA4, in which the train is automatically controlled, without any staff on board. On most systems with lower grades of automation up to GoA2, there is a driver present to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies.
Lau explained that the process of getting this fully automated system online has been one of the highlights of the project.
“Getting the testing underway to get the next section running had posed some unique challenges but it is exciting to get these trains on track,” he said.
“Other GoA4 lines are often brought online on existing tracks but the challenge with this system is, we need to test the track with an automated train.
“Normally testing is easier when you have a driver, so we had to find a new way to do it, but the team have done well to find a system that works.”
Updating the existing communications and signalling system used for operations on the North West Line to incorporate the City & Southwest Line, was another unique experience for the MTR team.
“We needed to integrate the Northwest software and make it one with the new system,” Lau said.
“We had to cut the existing software in with the new software, which was very significant. It was imperative to make sure the two systems worked together seamlessly, so we spent a lot of time delivering on that.
“All of this has been achievable thanks to the support from Sydney Metro.”
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