Western Harbour Tunnel, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Aurecon is transforming Sydney Harbour, replacing dredging with TBM tunnel engineering to deliver a faster, safer and more sustainable second harbour crossing.
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Opened in 1886, Hornsby Junction is a network of interconnected tracks serving intercity, metropolitan, and regional rail passenger services, as well as freight services, located within a constrained brownfield site in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby.
Remodelling of the site incorporated new signalling and rail services to deliver faster turnaround times for trains, increasing capacity and improving service reliability for Sydney’s T1 North Shore Line. The challenge for the design and construction teams was how to navigate the brownfield site, twisting and turning the new infrastructure to fit amongst existing services, wiring and signalling, all with nothing clashing.
Novo Rail Alliance, consisting of Transport for NSW in partnership with Aurecon, Laing O’Rourke, and RCR Infrastructure, was selected to take on the task.
Using 3D project models, Novo Rail detected potential clashes between infrastructure and services early in the design phase. This created value for the project as it provided greater certainty and clarity of services locations prior to construction commencing.
The project was one of the most significant rail projects ever undertaken in Sydney. Not in the context of value, but the amount of rail, overhead wiring and signalling in a brownfield operating environment.
Spanning 3 hectares, the design team mapped thousands of modelling data points across the brownfield site.
The final track possession occurred during a 17-day window. There were 7 turnouts constructed with connecting track, overhead wires and signalling equipment installed and commissioned. This process would have taken more than 3 years to complete had the work been undertaken on standard trackwork weekends only.
Video courtesy from Transport for NSW.
With clash detection undertaken during the design phase, this gave greater certainty to the construction works for the small window of time available on site. The works were installed and commissioned on time.
"With an unprecedented level of complexity and intense external scrutiny, it has been a real privilege to witness the collective team rise to the challenge over the 17 days," said Daniel Roche, Senior Project Manager, Transport for NSW.
"The project has been a shining example of collaboration and will be a benchmark for future projects for rail construction in a brownfield rail environment. The project team has demonstrated professionalism and perseverance to the end and should take enormous pride in the new, improved Hornsby Junction and the legacy of its operational benefits."
Due to the nature of the brownfield site at Hornsby Junction, the project was by no means straightforward. The small site was sandwiched between critical road infrastructure, existing station platforms and commercial precincts, with limited entry and exit points. The implementation and integration of digital tools was used to great effect on this complex project.
It was essential to the Novo Rail Alliance that clash detection and coordination was completed to achieve certainty around the position of services, wiring and signalling prior to construction commencing. Clash detection and coordination helps to find and remove the potential incompatible interactions between differing elements of a design long before the actual construction begins.
Using collaborative clash detection software in 3D, the Alliance federated all design elements and construction methodology into one source of truth. From there, all stakeholders were able to detect clashes during the design stage. This achieved zero clashes between the rail project elements when construction commenced, ensuring works could proceed without delay or design re-work.
To promote regular collaboration between the Alliance and stakeholders, it was essential to share project information frequently. The 3D model aided collaboration and engagement, beyond its benefit to design development and constructability reviews.
In one example, the 3D model was used by the Alliance to animate the crane lift of the new signalling building into place. This animation was presented to the project owner, Transport for NSW, to provide them with confidence regarding the methodology of the crane lift, which was in the vicinity of 11 kV aerial conductors.
The project has significantly improved the rail network by enhancing the efficiency and capacity of the junction, reducing delays, and enabling smoother train transitions.
This upgrade has resulted in more reliable and convenient rail services for commuters and freight, ultimately contributing to improved transport movements across the city.
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