Australian construction firm John Holland has won a contract to build the Mernda Rail Extension project in Victoria, Australia.

The $600M project will extend the South Morang line to Mernda. It will involve the construction of nearly 8km of new duplicated rail line between South Morang station and Mernda, five grade separations and new stations at Mernda, Marymede and Hawkstowe.

John Holland CEO Joe Barr said that the extension will cater for the significant population growth in Melbourne’s north.

“We’re proud to be able to provide the community with a solution that will reduce travel time and improve liveability in the local area with better connections, as well as creating hundreds of jobs,” said Barr.

Work on the project is set to start in the coming months, taking about two years to complete.

* Data provided by Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center.