The Premier and Minister for Transport Infrastructure of Victoria, a state in the south-east of Australia, have announced that more than 100 local and global organisations have participated in the market engagement process for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

The estimated AUD15 billion (US$10.8 billion) project involves the development of a new rail link between the airport and central business district of Melbourne, the state capital.

Rail Projects Victoria launched market engagement for the project earlier this year, opening a Registration of Interest (ROI) period in September. The process has tested market interest from across the professional disciplines, including design, engineering, construction and finance.

The state government will now assess which organisations have the capability to implement the project and begin gauging the interest of potential private sector investors and operators.

The full business case is now underway, with construction set to begin by 2022. The government has not disclosed a schedule for the procurement process.

Aurecon Jacobs Mott MacDonald Joint Venture (AJM JV) has been appointed as a technical advisor and KPMG has been appointed as a commercial advisor for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

AJM JV has already started site investigations in the Airport Rail Link corridor as part of early planning work. The corridor passes through Sunshine, intended to be the site of a new transport "superhub", with the link to form the north-western section of the Suburban Rail Loop.

Work has also begun on environmental surveys, which will be used to support detailed planning and assessments for the project.

The Joint Venture is also working on the Western Rail Plan, carrying out detailed investigations of infrastructure upgrades, costs and train requirements to deliver fast rail to the regions as part of the Airport Rail Link.