Eveleigh Railyards Stormwater Pump Station

Scope

QMAX Pumping Systems undertook the comprehensive design, manufacture, installation, and commissioning of a large stormwater pump station at Eveleigh rail yards for Next Rail. This station is integral to draining the Illawarra Dives railway tunnels as part of Transport for NSW’s More Trains, More Services program, a multi-billion-dollar program, aiming to streamline and modernise the rail network.

Challenges

The project presented several unique engineering and installation challenges such as, the station had to be designed and installed in close proximity to active rail lines, necessitating meticulous planning and stringent safety protocols to ensure operational integrity and minimise disruptions to rail services. As the site was situated in a very tight space in between buildings and close to railway lines posed, it demanded precise spatial planning and strategic positioning of equipment and structures to optimise functionality within limited dimensions.

The station also required a heavy-duty lid design capable of withstanding the weight and traffic load of heavy vehicles operating in the vicinity. Despite these complexities, QMAX successfully installed a 3.6-meter diameter pump well, reaching a depth of 9.5 meters, including a custom precast baffle wall to effectively manage the kinetic energy generated by the high-volume flows through the 900mm diameter inlet.

The project call for the integration of a sophisticated system comprising of three 22kW pumps capable of handling flows exceeding 230 liters per second, alongside a large precast valve chamber accommodating three sets of DN200 valves. The meticulous planning and precise offsite manufacturing of precast items and precored penetrations streamlined the installation.