Next Rail

Who are we?

Next Rail is a partnership comprising of John Holland, Jacobs and Transport for NSW to deliver service improvements for customers on the T4 Illawarra Line and T8 Airport Line. These improvements are part of the More Trains, More Services North program that over the next ten years will transform the rail network and provide customers with more reliable, high capacity turn up and go services.

Our commitments

Next Rail is continually working to reduce our impact on the environment and be more sustainable. We are committed to leaving a positive, lasting impact in the communities in which we work. As detailed in our Sustainability Policy, our commitments include:

• implementing a sustainable pathway on the project which balances social, economic and environmental considerations in decision-making
• developing robust, comprehensive diversity metrics to identify barriers to equality, highlight areas of concern and prioritise diversity and inclusion initiatives
• minimising whole of life asset impact by future proofing assets and responding to climate change

"Next Rail believe that factoring sustainability considerations into all aspects of our work is crucial to operating in a way that sets the project, community and environment up for long-term success. The Next Rail team are committed to formal sustainability assessment and have been working extremely hard to implement initiatives that will have lasting tangible impacts for our environment and community. Our Annual Sustainability Report 2022 located on this webpage showcases some of these great initiatives". Regina Wootton - Next Rail General Manager

Sustainability spotlight

Mortuary Station Heritage Significance

Next Rail, an Incentivised Delivery Entity consisting of John Holland, Jacobs and Transport for NSW was honoured to commission a video, sharing the significance of heritage listed Mortuary Station; one of Sydney's earliest train stations and rarest of its kind.

As part of the More Trains, More Services program, Next Rail has been delivering the Sydney Terminal Area Reconfiguration project in close proximity to Mortuary Station. The heritage listed station not only marks a time in history, but also demonstrates TfNSW’s commitment to developing modern rail networks, while also honouring Sydney’s humble beginnings.

During the project, Next Rail collaborated closely with archaeologists and leading heritage consultant Fiona Leslie and the client, Transport for NSW, to preserve and protect the heritage significance of the site. Throughout the work, the team uncovered a range of historical artifacts which contribute to telling a clearer story of how and why Sydney’s rail network is what it is today.

Please click the photo below to learn more about the heritage significance of Mortuary Station.

More Trains More Services Subcontractor Forum

At Next Rail we are transforming lives and working collaboratively with our subcontractors to achieve positive and sustainable social outcomes.

In June 2022, the Next Rail and Botany Rail Duplication projects hosted our subcontractors to continue the dialogue on how we can collaborate with our subcontractors to address industry skills shortages, boost our local economy and have a workforce reflective of the communities in which we operate.

It is an exciting time to work in rail and transport, and together we are committed to building a meaningful legacy of opportunities and we can’t do this alone - it is critical that we engage subcontractors who can assist us in achieving positive diversity and inclusion outcomes.

Government agency representatives from Transport for NSW, Department of Education and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources joined the discussion on how small businesses can access funding and support that will grow a more diverse and skilled industry.

Thank you to all our valuable contractors and government agencies who attended.

Life Cycle Assessment

Next Rail is always working to reduce our environmental impact and become more sustainable.

Next Rail recently completed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the More Trains More Services project with the assistance of Perspektiv. Next Rail recognises that our environmental impact extends beyond construction, and the assets we are building will continue to have impacts over the next 100 years.

Development of this LCA has allowed our design and construction teams to understand the environmental impacts of our design and construction decisions today and into the future.

The results of this LCA have quantified the environmental benefits of many of the initiatives on the project. Examples of modelled benefits include:

• 90 kilolitres of potable water saved by using polymer dust suppressant and geofabric during construction
• 860 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions avoided through reducing the amount of steel and concrete required for the structural design of the Wolli Creek substation
• 2513 tonnes of excavations saved by using a geogrid geo-composite solution on our works on the T4 line

Image: The Life Cycle Assessment model process

Climate Change Risk Assessment

Climate change poses a significant risk that will increasingly impact people and infrastructure over the coming century. Our works like many others have already been impacted by the unprecedented weather over the past months, and the finished project will likely see similarly varied and extreme weather conditions.

Next Rail has completed a Climate Change Risk Assessment for the potential climate hazards on the project. Characterising the likelihood and potential consequences of climate change risks helps our design and construction teams to mitigate the risks, provide adaptation options, and build solutions that provide resilient and safe transport infrastructure into the future.

An example of the climate change adaptations incorporated into the project is the design of Wolli Creek Substation. Wolli Creek Substation is in a low-lying area that is already prone to flooding. Next Rail’s flood study assessed the potential impact of several scenarios, ranging from a 1 in 5 year flood event to a 1 in 100 year flood event which accounted for the effects of climate change by 2100 with a 20% rainfall increase and 0.9m sea level rise. The final building finished floor sits above this 2100 climate changed impacted event, ensuring that the infrastructure Next Rail is building will continue to help power the network even in the face of future climate challenges.