Article: Leaks, ageing structures a potential danger to City Loop

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From the Herald Sun click here!

Leaks, ageing structures a potential danger to City Loop

Leaks, ageing structures a potential danger to City Loop

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * February 27, 2010 12:00AM

MELBOURNE'S new rail operator, Metro, has told the State Government repairs to the City Loop are urgently needed following the discovery of leaks.

Metro has urged work be done to the Loop as soon as practical because of the potential safety risks.

Details of the leaks were outlined in Metro's Asset Management Plan, which has been seen by the Herald Sun.

The confidential document said the water problem was affecting the tunnel's electrics.

"There is significant water ingress at some discrete locations that require further investigation and subsequent repairs," it says.

In the document, Metro says higher-than-normal levels of maintenance should have been carried out because of the tunnel's importance to Melbourne's train system.

The report also reveals that the three Loop stations, Parliament, Melbourne Central and Flagstaff, are going to need a major overhaul soon.

Built in the 1970s and 1980s, the station ventilation, sewerage, lifts, escalators and electrical systems are reaching the end of their lifespan.

The total bill is likely to be in the hundreds of millions.

"Due to the safety-critical nature, much of the work will need to occur as soon as practical," the Metro document says.

Salty groundwater seeps into the tunnel and interferes with the electrics, causing the signalling system to deteriorate.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said the water leaks were similar to what would be found in the Burnley tunnel.

"It's not a safety issue. Water seepage was considered when the Loop was built," Mr Whitefield said.

"The design included water pumps for stormwater and groundwater."

In recent years, underground channels have been installed to divert water to existing drainage.

"The Government has allocated funding to look at long-term solutions," Mr White- field said.

A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said the City Loop was a critical piece of Melbourne's rail network and was regularly maintained.

"An extra $500 million will be spent on rail network maintenance over the next eight years," spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.