Ashurst has advised the Northwest Rapid Transit consortium (Leighton Contractors, John Holland, UGL Rail Services, MTR Corporation and Plenary Group) on its bid to Transport for NSW for the $3.7 billion Operations, Trains and Systems (OTS) contract on the North West Rail Link (NWRL) project. The North West Rail Link is Australia's largest public transport project.

The OTS contract will be delivered under a PPP model and will involve the construction of eight new stations and a state-of-the-art stabling facility, the supply of Sydney's new generation rapid transit trains and the operation of the North West Rail Link, including maintenance work, for 15 years.

There were a number of significant complexities in this transaction including:

* The integration of  tunnelling works and surface and viaduct civil works which will have been carried out under separate design and construction contracts; and
* The assumption of responsibility for the upgrade and conversion of the railway line between Epping and Chatswood.

Partner Gareth Sage said: "Ashurst is very proud to have advised on this landmark project. It was a deal of significant complexity and we were pleased to have assisted the NRT consortium achieve financial close within the timeframe set by the NSW Government."

The Ashurst team, led by partners Gareth Sage and Simon Irvine and special counsel Ross McKinnon, included senior associates Peter Atkin, Laura van den Berg, Douglas Fung, and Ben Kipic; and lawyers, Phillipa Hinton, Michelle Sim, Aaranie Karthikeyan, Wan Sang Lung, Kanin Lwin, Stanley Mok and Yvonne Zhong.