Hunt On For A Mentor To Get The Metro On Track
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 23, 2008
WITH work on the $12 billion North West Metro about to begin, the State Government has shortlisted four international compan-ies to be the "shadow operator".
The Government says the role of assisting planners at the design stage of the project is a "first for any major transport infrastructure project in Australia". It is understood that a former chief executive of State Rail, Simon Lane, is involved with one of the four preferred tenderers, First Class Partnerships. The British company is working with the same management firm that employed the former transport minister Carl Scully as a consultant, Evans & Peck. A spokesman for the Premier, Morris Iemma, said Mr Scully had no involvement with the tender process. Also on the shortlist are the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin, Booz & Company of Germany and the British firm Interfleet Technology. Mr Iemma said 11 companies and consortiums tendered for the job of shadow operator and all four on the shortlist had "international metro experience".An appointment is expected by the end of July, with construction of the metro to begin in 2010. "Because the North West Metro will be Australia's first metro system it is important we get operational expertise involved very early in the design to make sure the focus is maintained on the best transport outcome for passengers," Mr Iemma said. His office said the shadow operator would "provide advice on lessons learnt from elsewhere in the world".
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald