Austrian slab track technology for Australia

Metro Melbourne is looking forward to a new important rail link across the city in 2025, when the Metro Tunnel project is completed goes into operation. As part of a subsupply contract for the client Vossloh Australia Ltd., PORR not only provided detailed slab track design, but also manufactured and supplied the slabs, and provided training, testing, installation and commissioning instructions for Slab Track Austria technology. The precast slabs have been fitted into the new 9.6 km long, twin-bore Metro Tunnel.

The Metro Tunnel project from Kensington to South Yarra in Melbourne will provide capacity for additional 500,000 train passengers a day across the network to help relieve the congestion on the existing City Loop. This is a part of the ongoing rail development in the Australian state of Victoria to build new and improve existing rail links as the population in the urban areas and the need for modern mass transit connections continue to rise.

Proven technology tailored to the project requirements.

PORR’s proven slab track technology is already in operation on various railways, high speed and metro links in Europe and in the Middle East. This time it was supplied to Australia for the first time. It was designed to meet the specific requirements of the Metro Tunnel project with the broad gauge of 1,600mm. The derailment guard integrated into the slab will improve safety during operations. 

The Metro Tunnel runs through an urban environment with areas requiring High Attenuation track form and Floating Slab Track, in order to mitigate the noise and vibrations from rail operations. To achieve the requirements, three levels of mitigation were provided.

• For very high attenuation sections, a combination between PORR standard slab track and a floating slab track (FST) solution was proposed known as a mass spring system.
• For high attenuation sections, PORR slab track panel was designed to allow use of the Vossloh high attenuation fastening system.
• For areas without any requirements, the standard PORR slab track system was used.

The delivery of slab track is part of the overall PPP project to build the Metro Tunnel including five new underground stations. The project is executed by the Cross-Yarra Partnership (CYP) consortium consisting of Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital for the client Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA).

The production and supply of the precast slab track was completed from October 2021 to July 2022. Besides production and supply, PORR supported CYP with the installation methodologies as they undertook the slab track construction activities on site, as well as the maintenance manuals and procedures for slab track for the later stage of the project, after testing and commissioning.

Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) will operate trains from 2025 on. Read more about PORR Slab Track Austria technology.