24/7 support for Victoria’s largest infrastructure project

Coates provided equipment hire, training and “exceptional service” for a complex level crossing removal project

The project

The $1.6 billion Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project involved the simultaneous removal of 9 level crossings by installing elevated railways, or ‘sky rail’, through Melbourne’s north-western suburbs. The works also included building 5 new stations and upgrading 72km of track.

Awarded to an Alliance including CPB Contractors, Lendlease and Metro Trains, Coates was chosen to support the early works. On the success of this, Coates was then engaged as a one-stop shop for equipment hire for the main works throughout 2017 and 2018, with additional line upgrades continuing until mid-2020. 

“Coates was chosen due to our ability to support such a large and complex project, especially given the time sensitive nature of rail works,” says John Dular, Major Project Manager at Coates. “Most Alliance stakeholders had dealt with Coates previously and had high expectations of the service we could provide, not just as a hire company, but as a project partner.” 

The challenge

24/7 operations

The project was the single biggest level crossing removal project in Melbourne's history and the largest infrastructure project in Victoria at the time. Due to the project timeline, it was a true 24/7 operation that required a huge amount of well-serviced and reliable equipment. 

Plant compliance

All plant needed to comply with Lendlease’s Global Minimum Requirements (GMRs), which exceeded Coates’ already strict HSEQ standards.

Ordering and communication

Stretching for 100kms along the city’s busiest rail corridor with hundreds of touchpoints, the sheer scale of the site created logistical challenges for ordering equipment and communicating with all stakeholders.

The solution

Coates supplied products from all 21 equipment categories, including Lighting, Traffic Management, Access, Site Accommodation, Generators and Power Distribution, Materials Handling, Trucks and Compaction. 

“We had in excess of 200 light towers on hire at any one time, as well as up to 500 Linklite trackside LED lighting systems purchased specially for this project,” says John. “Our RTO also provided training services and created bespoke training courses to fill gaps the project’s own training couldn’t fulfil, such as Light Vehicle Load Restraint.”

To ensure all plant and equipment met Lendlease’s GMRs and could be operational soon after arriving to site, Coates worked closely with the Alliance’s Project Plant team to understand and adopt all processes and standards.

Due to the amount of equipment required, Coates had a 24/7 field service team on site to ensure all equipment met regulatory requirements and to swiftly manage any breakdowns and minimise downtime. “Our service technicians were truly seen as part of the team, often going above and beyond to keep the project running,” says John.

Coates also introduced a Major Project Team, who served as one point of contact for the Alliance team and coordinated equipment and resources with Coates branches, as well as providing regular reporting to the customer.

The impact

Vernon Abraham, Alliance Asset & Logistics Manager at CPB Contractors, says their team was very satisfied with Coates.

“Coates provided exceptional service over the project life,” says Vernon. “They were able to rise to the task of supporting a project working 24-hours a day, with occupations every weekend from a supply and maintenance perspective. In a year where we had 5 commissioning events, they were able to provide dedicated staff to support the project with everything it needed.”

Many of the solutions implemented for this project have also been used for subsequent projects. Most notably, the central Major Project Team model was so successful that Coates developed the Platinum Customer Service Centre (CSC), a permanent team that looks after top-tier customers and major projects across the country.

“Monthly hire spend shadowed any projects past or present, so there are very few, if any, competitors that could have supported this project like Coates,” says John. “We’ve created lasting relationships with key members of the project, including Site Engineers and Project Managers, so it’s very satisfying to see them return to Coates for equipment and expertise for other projects.”

To see how Coates can support your major infrastructure project, contact the team today