SRL is in line with comparable Oz metro projects such as Sydney Metro West which is costing at least $28B. The cost per km comparison is similar, but SRL is a little higher as a) Tunneling in Melb is more difficult than Sydney given our soil types, and b) there are more precinct associated costs. The Montreal REM comparison is also perhaps limited as other projects such as the previous 28km East metro proposal was costed at CAD$36B. This has now become an CAD $18B/AUD$20 light rail line with 31 stations for 38kms!
If you also compare with the various transit projects in Toronto and their cost increases esp with the much plagued Eglinton Crosstown LRT we are not doing too badly at all. There are some good anlaysis papers on why transit builds in the Anglophone countries (US, UK, OZ, Can & NZ) are so much more expensive than western european countries.
It's an interesting article but it's a bit problematic to suggest the REM (very little new tunnelling, mostly conversion of existing track) is a comparable project to the 100% tunnelled SRL
Yeah, I understand that. I was just making a broad point that the SRL seems excessively expensive. The idea was to inspire the government to think how it could lower costs.
SRL is in line with comparable Oz metro projects such as Sydney Metro West which is costing at least $28B. The cost per km comparison is similar, but SRL is a little higher as a) Tunneling in Melb is more difficult than Sydney given our soil types, and b) there are more precinct associated costs. The Montreal REM comparison is also perhaps limited as other projects such as the previous 28km East metro proposal was costed at CAD$36B. This has now become an CAD $18B/AUD$20 light rail line with 31 stations for 38kms!
see here for details https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsreQJoF3Ow
If you also compare with the various transit projects in Toronto and their cost increases esp with the much plagued Eglinton Crosstown LRT we are not doing too badly at all. There are some good anlaysis papers on why transit builds in the Anglophone countries (US, UK, OZ, Can & NZ) are so much more expensive than western european countries.
Thanks for the info!
It's an interesting article but it's a bit problematic to suggest the REM (very little new tunnelling, mostly conversion of existing track) is a comparable project to the 100% tunnelled SRL
Yeah, I understand that. I was just making a broad point that the SRL seems excessively expensive. The idea was to inspire the government to think how it could lower costs.