198703 – Williams – Electrification of New Zealand Railways: North Island Main Trunk – The Project Management Organisation

In December 1981 the New Zealand Government approved the New Zealand Railways Corporation electrifying the North Island Main Trunk Railway between Palmerston North and Hamilton with a 25kV 50 Hertz system to be commercially operative mid 1988. The project embraces a range of technical disciplines, both traditional to the Corporation and in some cases new. It also includes some state of the art technology. A number of large civil engineering works were necessary along the route, as well as some “non-project” operating and route improvements which were justifiable in their in right, and whilst not being essential to electrification do enhance the completed system.

The work was planned in two stages. Stage 1 was the l8lkm tram Palmerston North to Ohakune and Stage 2 the 227km from Ohakune to Hamilton. See Figure 1. Contracts were awarded in December 1983 for the design, supply and installation of the Stage 1 Signalling, Communications, and Traction Overhead, the supply of Power Supply equipment and all of the 22 locomotives required.

Separate contracts tor Stage 2 were negotiated with the respective Stage 1 Contractors during 1985. The civil works, including works associated with the main contracts and “non-project” works, were undertaken concurrently with the above contracts by NZR.

Except for Communications, Stage 1 is now complete on the ground and Stage 2 well advanced. A number of locomotives are also in the country. Both contracts for communications were determined in November 1986 and the Corporation has itself now taken responsibility for managing and arranging the provision of the communications systems for the electrification project.

Because the Corporation’s Engineering and operating branch structures and related District & Regional Offices with separate geographic boundaries were straddled by this large multi-discipline project, the traditional NZK Management structure was not suited tor Implementing the work. The detailed management, co-ordination and control of the project and integration of the non-project works was therefore effected through a specially tom Electrification Project Group, as a division of the General Manager’s Office reporting direct to the Deputy General Manager. Technical responsibility was retained by NXH Engineering Branches.

As a consequence of the NZR organisational changes currently taking place (which are referred to in the next section of this paper), the group is now a separate division of the Freight Winess Group and reports direct to the Group Manager.

The structure and staffing of the Electrification Project Group for Stage 1 was largely successful. However to complete the project on time it was necessary to significantly overlap Stage 2 with Stage 1. This required considerable extra resources to cope, as well as significant changes to the Stage 1 structure from commencement of Stage 2 planning.

A partial modification to this new structure was needed recently because of the termination of the communications contracts by the Corporation. The Project Group is managing the “recovery” and this has necessitated additional resources and a specific structure sub-set.