Dreamers & Makers

Engineering is built on milestones some collective, shaping the future of cities and mobility, and others deeply personal, defining who we become as professionals. In this reflection, one of our Sener in Australia colleagues looks back on ten years marked by challenges, growth, unexpected turns, and the moment Melbourne finally opened its new Metro Tunnel to the public. His story is also part of Sener’s own journey in Australia: how we arrived, how we grew, and how our people continue to contribute with passion, commitment, and a long term vision. Meet Michael Taylor. Sener stands out for the human qualities of its people.

Melbourne metro opens to the public!

At the end of December 2025, I as fortunate enough to be in Melbourne for a client meeting and took the opportunity to explore the newly opened Metro Tunnel Project. For me personally, the project represents a significant achievement in my professional life – an important part of my personal and professional development, and a memorable time for my family. For our company, the project reflects a long-term engagement that demonstrates the depth and breadth of our services and capabilities over many years. 

My first involvement with the project began in 2016, when I served as the M&E Engineering Manager for the Cross Yarra Partnership D&C tender. Over a 12month period, I commuted five days a week from Brisbane to Melbourne, working long, hard days in the tender office – and enjoying the occasional long night in Melbourne’s buzzing bar and restaurant scene (responsibly, of course).  Together we developed a compelling tender offer for what was – and now is – a monumental transport infrastructure project. The submission was more comprehensive and of higher quality than many design projects; it fully deserved the win.

In late 2017, we were awarded the project – an important achievement for the consortium, and my first experience being part of a successful major project bid (the wins are far more memorable than the losses). 

In early 2018, I moved my family from Brisbane to Melbourne and began the monumental task of building the team responsible for the detailed design and procurement of all M&E and Rail Systems services. Melbourne is a fantastic city to live in—my wife and daughter loved it—and we immersed ourselves in the culture and everything the city and its surrounds had to offer. The work was tough, but I took responsibility for contributing to generational infrastructure seriously, and I enjoyed it immensely.

As with all major projects, the personal challenges, stress, negative press, and delays were very real—things I had experienced before and felt prepared for. But in 2020, COVID19 arrived. No one knew what to expect. I was responsible for a team of over 70 people, all locked in our houses, yet somehow still responsible for delivering “Critical Infrastructure.” During this period, we found new ways to work and communicate.  For me, it is always the people you remember from projects like this—the relationships that form over many years. I was fortunate to have built a brilliant team, and the legacy and culture of what we achieved was reflected in the calls and messages I received after the opening, despite having been away from the project for almost five years. 

A decade in pictures! 

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1. September 2017 – Photo taken during a visit to the HCMT Mockup.
2. September 2017 – Family Fun Day at Arden Station, with my daughter and me standing inside the TBM Logistics shed, still under construction. The Arden Station underground box and temporary propping are visible in the background.
3. November 2019 – Site walk of the completed first tunnel drive between West Melbourne and the Western Portal. Temporary ventilation ductwork runs along the top of the tunnel, with TBM temporary services fixed to the walls.
4. February 2020 – Exciting news for the family with baby Jack on the way. Little did we know he would be born during the depths of the COVID‑19 lockdown — a true Coronial.
5. April 2020 – COVID‑19 hits, and Teams meetings become the new normal. This was my first team meeting following lockdown, with 50 people dialled in. At the time it was almost impossible to believe; today, these meetings are part of daily life.
6. December 2025 – Town Hall Station concourse and main entrance hall. The sheer size of this space is hard to imagine, designed to accommodate significant growth in patronage over the coming decades.
7. December 2025 – Arden Station platform, designed and built to serve 10‑car train sets. At almost 300 metres long, the space felt immense, stretching so far that you could barely see from end to end.
8. December 2025 – Impressive architectural features at Arden and Anzac Stations, demonstrating the sustainable use of timber, recycled brick, and natural light.

It was during my time on the MTP that I first came across Tactix. They (now “we”) had a team delivering Systems Engineering, HF, and Safety Assurance. I had no idea then that I would one day work for the company or be on the professional path I am on today in Sener. I later learned that Sener was also involved—as a design partner for the unsuccessful consortium during the competitive tender—the project marked Sener’s entry into the Australian market, acting as Design JV Partner with SMEC for the Acciona/Ferrovial Consortium. Key members from the Sener team who participated in that tender are still playing key roles in our business, demonstrating that we have now become truly integrated. 

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. I eventually left Lendlease and the project, embarking on a new career challenge with Tactix and now Sener. But I couldn’t leave the project behind entirely; those connections and relationships built over 4.5 years meant that people valued my input, eventually leading me to negotiating my first ever contract as a Tactix employee. The scope was to develop the Testing and Commissioning Strategy for the Incoming Supply Substation (ISS), which we delivered quickly and efficiently. This contract eventually expanded to include Completions Management Support, QA Documentation Development, Completions Database Development, Operations and Maintenance Manuals, and Engineering Support for testing activities right up to the final opening. 

As a company (Tactix, Tactix Sener, and Sener Australia), we have held eight separate contracts with the Cross Yarra Partnership and other project participants over seven years, with a total revenue of around $14M. We have delivered services in RAMS, Systems Engineering, Requirements Management, HF, Safety, Cyber Security, Signaling Design and T&C (wider network), Construction Support, Quality Assurance, Completions Management, Testing and Commissioning, MEP, Operations and Maintenance Manuals, and more – demonstrating  impressive depth and experience spanning nearly a decade. Sixtyone (61) individuals have booked time to Melbourne Metro–related projects across these disciplines, along with many others who worked with other employers and later joined us. Everyone involved carries valuable knowledge and experience that we can draw upon in our future endeavours. 

This personal reflection has been a  wonderful walk down memory lane, but there is no better way to reminisce than to experience the project yourself. If you haven’t yet had the chance to walk through the stations, I highly recommend it. They are world class in their architecture, execution, size, and scale – a genuine positive legacy for Melbourne. Experiencing the sheer volume and openness of the stations is extraordinary and clearly reflects the long-term plan for the facility – an investment today for the city’s future transport capacity. 

I am very proud of my contribution to the project and equally proud of all of our people who have been involved over the years. The Metro Tunnel is a legacy for Melbourne, and it is gratifying to know that WE played a part in shaping it. Congratulations to everyone who was involved in whatever capacity – go and enjoy a ride on Melbourne’s new Metro line to reflect on your achievements!