West Link - Centralen Section, Gothenburg
On behalf of the Swedish Transport Administration, NCC is building a substantial section of the West Link’s double track rail line for commuter and regional trains beneath central Gothenburg. The Centralen section includes a bridge over the E6 motorway to the east, the new underground station Centralen and around 2 km of connecting rail tunnel, some of which will run through rock.
The West Link (Västlänken) is a new double track rail tunnel that will improve train travel in Gothenburg and West Sweden. Giving commuter and regional trains their own tracks in a tunnel beneath central Gothenburg will double capacity at Gothenburg’s Central Station. The expansion of the rail infrastructure in Gothenburg also enables densification and future development of the city above ground.
ECI model for early collaboration
The contract is being run as a new collaborative model known as Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). This means that NCC will work in close collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration to carry out the planning and to optimize the cost of the project at an early stage.
The initial phase of the collaboration is an intensive period with a focus on choice of method and production solutions. Complex technical challenges are interspersed with issues concerning health and safety, organization, sustainability and finance. Having the project organization located in one place ensures more effective collaboration. With a cost estimate that is drawn up together, both parties can confidently take the next step into the project’s construction phase.
Build rail line with no disruption
While the underground work is continuing, all the logistics above ground have to function normally, including road traffic, trams, power supplies, district heating, the internet and much more besides. It is a huge puzzle with many players involved.
NCC has also won the contract for the Korsvägen section and the preparatory work for the West Link, from the Olskroksmotet interchange in the east to the Stenpiren transport hub in the west – a stretch of almost three kilometers. The preparations include rerouting existing cables and pipes in the ground where excavations for the future tunnel will be carried out.
Better rail infrastructure with VDC
NCC’s contract covers a new bridge over the E6 motorway in the east, a sunken rail line, a rock tunnel through Gullberget, a concrete tunnel in clay and the underground commuter train station Centralen just north of Gothenburg Central Station, plus a continuation of the concrete tunnel west to GöteborgsOperan. That is a distance of almost 2 km. Advanced VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) is being used to manage the complexity of the project.
Better rail infrastructure with VDC
NCC’s contract covers a new bridge over the E6 motorway in the east, a sunken rail line, a rock tunnel through Gullberget, a concrete tunnel in clay and the underground commuter train station Centralen just north of Gothenburg Central Station, plus a continuation of the concrete tunnel west to GöteborgsOperan. That is a distance of almost 2 km. Advanced VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) is being used to manage the complexity of the project.
Illustrator: Tomorrow AB/Kanozi