Deep underground along Sydney's east-west axis, a grand project to reshape the city's transportation landscape is reaching a critical juncture. With the four core contracts worth AUD 11.5 billion settled in December 2025, this strategic corridor connecting the central business district and Parramatta, aimed at doubling capacity, has fully entered the high-intensity construction phase from the blueprint.

Chinese enterprise consortium wins key large order

The biggest highlight of this contract award is that a consortium of Chinese companies has won a core share worth over AUD 7 billion. Specifically, John Holland, an Australian subsidiary of China Communications Construction Corporation, has successfully won a contract worth AUD 3.2 billion for the entire track system project, responsible for laying approximately 60 kilometers of tracks, providing a complete set of traction power supply, communication control systems, and constructing large vehicle depots. More strategically significant, the joint venture between Hong Kong Railway Corporation and China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) has defeated international giants such as Alstom from France, Siemens from Germany, and Hyundai from South Korea, winning a $3.96 billion "train, system, operation, and maintenance" integrated contract covering vehicle supply and system operation for the next 22 years, including 16 new generation fully autonomous subway trains.

The framework of the four major contract construction projects

In addition to the two major contracts mentioned above, the other two contracts also constitute the core framework of the project. Malaysian construction giant Kingswood has won a design and construction contract worth AUD 2.85 billion for five underground stations in the western section. These five stations will be customized according to their respective regional characteristics and become important nodes serving the communities along the route. In addition, the Metropolis consortium, composed of local enterprises, has won a AUD 1.5 billion contract for the development of the Hunter Street station and its superstructure. The project not only includes the construction of key transfer stations, but also the development of two commercial complexes, practicing the integration model of "rail+property" and transforming the transportation hub into a vibrant center of the city. Keywords: traffic news, traffic news website

Fully transition to post station engineering by 2026

At present, the tunnel excavation project of the project has entered the final stage. A joint venture consisting of companies from Spain, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia has undertaken the construction of the eastern, central, and western sections of the tunnel. By 2026, the focus of the project will shift from underground excavation to system installation and station main structure construction. At that time, about 1000 workers will go deep into the 37 meter underground tunnel to lay tracks and install mechanical and electrical equipment. At the same time, the construction contracts for the remaining three stations will be gradually tendered and announced in 2026 to improve the network layout of the nine stations along the entire line. The entire project is steadily advancing towards its ultimate goal of opening to traffic by 2032. (This article is from the official website www.seetao.com of Jian Dao. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website traffic column editor/Gao Xue