Built around movement.
At network scale that meant building more than 100 PSO pods at stations that never closed, holding quality and budget steady across every one of them.
More about rail & transportOver 100 near-identical Protective Services Officer pods had to be built at stations that stayed open across the metropolitan and regional network, absorbing heritage cladding variations within a fixed program budget.
Each pod was built to a common standard, concrete slab, steel frame and sheet roofing, with the build process refined for scale after the first pods, the same suppliers and subcontractors retained for consistency, and weatherboard cladding substituted at heritage-listed stations.
All pods were delivered within the contracted period, to the satisfaction of Metro Trains Melbourne, Public Transport Victoria and Victoria Police.
The challenge
Ducon Building Solutions was engaged by Metro Trains Melbourne as part of the Protective Services Officer rollout program, building pod facilities at train stations across Melbourne to reduce crime and create a safer environment for commuters. To date more than 100 pods have been constructed on the Metro system, and several more on the regional network.
Every one of them was built on a station that stayed open. The program also had to absorb variation, heritage-listed stations could not take the standard external cladding, and it had to do so inside a fixed budget allowance across a very large number of near-identical builds.
The Ducon approach
- A repeatable build: Each pod was built to a common standard, concrete slab, steel frame and sheet roofing, so that quality and program were predictable across more than a hundred sites.
- Heritage variation planned in: External cladding was Exotec 9mm panel at the majority of pods, with weatherboard substituted at heritage-listed stations to meet the conditions applying to those assets.
- Process refined as it scaled: After the first pods were built, the administration and procedural approach was reworked to streamline the build. The same suppliers and subcontractors were used for consistency, with all personnel holding valid rail industry worker cards.
- Budget held across the program: Labour was managed closely against the budget allowance, which is what made a program of this repetition deliverable rather than merely repeatable.
Scope delivered
- Concrete slab, steel frame and sheet roof to each pod
- Exotec 9mm panel cladding, with weatherboard at heritage-listed stations
- Electrical, mechanical and hydraulic services as required
- Purpose-built temporary holding area with bench seat and CCTV
- Internal fitout: wetgear, CCTV and data cupboards, and workstations
What this project demonstrates
- Repeatable delivery at network scale: More than 100 near-identical builds across stations that stayed open to passengers.
- Variation absorbed without program loss: Heritage cladding substitutions were planned into the standard build rather than treated as exceptions.
- Rail-environment compliance: A consistent supply chain was used, with all personnel holding valid rail industry worker cards.
Key project facts
- Ducon project lead
- Daniel Quadflieg, Project Manager
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Metro Trains Melbourne: Protective Services Officer Pods, the full profile
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