Thornlie- Cockburn link will be Perth’s first East-West cross line connection. The project involves the extension of the existing Thornlie line to Cockburn Station, including two new stations at Nicholson and Ranford Roads.

A wide variety of existing underground services are present along the new 14.4km passenger rail alignment.  This includes utilities such as gas, water and power, as well as vital commercial supply lines such as a fuel pipeline to Perth Airport (BP KWOL). In order to construct new permanent rail infrastructure and ensure these underground services remained operational, a considerable scope of service identification, relocation, diversion and replacement was developed.

Melchor Contracting was engaged to provide supervision, machine operators and labour for the location and installation of stormwater drainage and water and electrical services along the alignment. Highlights among these were:

• BP KWOL: This scope required Melchor Contracting to expose the live fuel pipeline to enable the construction of a protection slab. The operation involved excavating 6m deep and installation of double stacked shoring boxes and dewatering. Due to the high risk nature of working around a high pressure aviation fuel pipeline, the successful completion of this scope demonstrated Melchor’s high standards of trench safety and experience complex excavation methodologies
• Stormwater RCP installation: In the supervisor’s own words, “This was the toughest service protection and pipe laying exercise I have ever faced in 25 years in this industry.” Melchor Contracting were tasked with installing a 900mm diameter drainage pipeline underneath live high voltage power and gas services. This required a combination of staged excavation shoring, structural support of existing services and extensive use of vacuum trucks – a piece of equipment that Melchor have developed a proficiency in working around.