To support this DAS delivered specialised civil, integration and defect-management services focused on identifying and mitigating operational and commercial risks. Through a detailed assessment of all Foundation Infrastructure Works (FIW) – including viaducts, bridges, tunnels, embankments, drainage, formation and landscaping – we ensured the assets met requirements and were prepared for long-term operation. We also supported the wider rail infrastructure delivery program through the review of engineering departures, and the valuation of engineering proposals and latent issues that could influence operational performance, safety, or whole-of-life maintenance cost.

Across FIW, our approach to mitigating risks included an in-depth assessment of defects for operations, maintenance and safety impacts, as well as identifying new issues during inspections. We provided an advisory outlook on proposed rectification methods and an evaluation of Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance (SSTOM) design changes, and post-design modifications which ensured future-proofing and maintainability. Furthermore, we provided technical input and experience for contractual notices related to FIW defects, supporting the RATP Dev commercial and legal teams.

We also reviewed engineering changes and valued engineering proposals, providing advice on long-term Operations and Management (O&M) impacts to ensure maintainable and compliant civil and structural assets. Using digital reporting tools, we managed and displayed asset conditions, supporting site inspections and defect traceability.

Lastly, we represented RATP Dev for civil and structural matters across governance forums and responded to technical queries related to design and construction on their behalf. We also further contributed to defining the future maintenance regime and annual works planning for FIW assets.

Our work helped RATP Dev to build a compliant and robust maintenance framework for future operations through a strengthened commercial position, improved forward planning, and reduced operational risks. This resulted in greater alignment between construction, commercial and O&M teams – and improved the efficiency of asset acceptance and handover, while mitigating technical fault risks. We established the foundation for a compliant annual works program, ensuring all assets could be maintained and audited effectively and were ready to transition into operation.

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Our work included combining the projects SPR requirements, ONRSR guidelines and ISO55001 to conduct an asset management practice review of the operator. The review identified improvements that would help both Transport Canberra and the operator demonstrate best practice from an asset management perspective, and that fully complied with the project agreement. We delivered briefings to provide Transport Canberra and the operator with a better understanding of how the project agreement and SPR requirements work together to provide a framework for asset condition assurance. ​

We leveraged our knowledge of the CLR project to analyze data from the operator’s asset information systems and provide Transport Canberra with a custom-made PowerBI dashboard that reported key metrics, to enable informed and evidence-based decision-making regarding priority assets to survey. We also worked with SMEs and the operator to conduct desktop and onsite surveys of asset condition. Finally, we created a standard format for the asset condition reports that ensured key issues of interest to Transport Canberra and requirements of the PPP were included. The asset condition reports provide independent advice to Transport Canberra on the current condition of their assets, and how the condition compares to design life.​

The reports DAS delivered provided Transport Canberra with assurance on the effectiveness of the operator’s maintenance practices, and recommendations for improvements. They now have a baseline to monitor assets condition, de-risking hand back.

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Requirement Scoping

DAS led the project scoping, facilitating workshops with key stakeholders, to define the requirements needed in preparation for the City line integration. Our approach provided a cross-function solution to ensure a holistic approach across all disciplines and functional teams. It also considered the interfaces between other operational readiness workstreams across the wider business.

Project Execution

DAS was responsible for holding requirement owners to account for delivering to the defined timescales and quality, reporting issues / risks, and supporting the development of rectification plans. To enable this, we led weekly stand-up meetings to raise and address priority risks, issues and actions. We chaired monthly meetings with the department leads and Executive leadership to brief progress, address risks and issues and enable decision making. We facilitated delivery workshops with external teams to ensure visibility and alignment and to support the handover from Project Delivery to Operations.

Monitoring and Reporting

Throughout the program delivery, DAS provided monitoring and reporting services, ensuring the right people had the right information at the right time. We developed a bespoke management tool (based on Goal Structured Notation) to monitor progress against key objectives, risks and issues, which was rolled out across all operational readiness workstreams. This information was presented in visual dashboards to be included in the monthly operational readiness report for Sydney Metro executives.

Outcomes

Successful Sydney Metro O&M readiness for the opening of the City & Southwest Phase 1 line extension.

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DAS was commissioned to support the programme, leveraging our extensive nuclear safety capabilities to develop an understanding of the issue and cause, undertaking assessments and evaluating options, and providing key information along with proposed solutions that underpinned client-informed decision-making capability. These activities included:

• Determining the Safety Case basis and evidence required to support informed chemistry regime changes, subsequently developing the necessary evidence.
• Research and studies into the chemical species associated with catalysing the rate of deposition formation. 
• Design of lab experiments to generate information associated with degradation mechanisms that were not fully understood.
• Empirical data analysis and model development to align research with data analysis and subsequently creating predictive tools.
• Assessment of systems, chemistry regime, and associated interfaces, to identify potential problematic areas with regards to cause and effect.
• Authoring reports containing key information and clarity of the issue, identifying causal relationships, potential options, and proposed solutions.

The work DAS completed enabled the client to deliver appropriately informed decisions on reactor chemistry regime selection. This was achieved through the delivery of several key documents that identified cause and effect relationships, system interfaces and subsequently affected systems and the trade-off associated with benefits and disbenefits for regime selection. This was in addition to any other considerations necessary to justify any change to operations.

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DAS was commissioned to provide integration assurance to Hatch. We provided independent assurance of the management of the Automatic Selective Door Operations (ASDO) interface for station arrival and departure operational scenarios. Using our Systems Engineering experience in complex integration, we assessed the completeness, correctness, and alignment of the Concept of Operations, Interface Control Documents, System Requirements Specifications, V&V matrices and Test Reports. We provided findings to the project team to be resolved to ensure the trackside, train-level and network integration could demonstrate successful program integration between the rolling stock and infrastructure projects.

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DAS provided Operational Integration expertise to ensure the Northwest Operations impacts from the City and Southwest project delivery were planned, understood and risks mitigated.

Managing Engineering & Operational Complexity

Our approach to operational integration included defining the scope of each augmentation Migration State and informing the staging. Each Migration State presented a unique set of engineering challenges and operational impacts to the live operational railway –  including service performance, maintenance and safety which required mitigation.

Engaging Stakeholders

Key to successful operational integration included using our established tools (Migration Strategy and Integrated Plan) and Systems Engineering processes to facilitate  engagement  and ensure alignment of Sydney Metro, Infrastructure Delivery Contractors, the Systems Integrator, O&M Contractor and Third-Party interfacing stakeholders.

Key Operational Impacts

• Operational Impacts: Expansion of the OCC systems and progressive changes to the Operating Concept.
• Safety Impacts: Assessment of the revised and progressive Engineering and Operational Safety Case.
• Accreditation: Varying of the O&M Contractor RSO / RIM responsibilities to support the Migration Strategy & T&C.
• Operational Readiness: Project delivery to O&M transition planning, including progressive handover of infrastructure to the O&M Contractor, Operational Readiness of the depot expansion, entry into service of new Rolling Stock, Trial Running and First Passenger Service.

Outcomes

Successful progressive operational integration of a greenfield railway within a brownfield environment – augmenting whilst minimising the impact to Sydney Metro Northwest Operations.

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