A MAJOR maintenance and upgrade blitz on the Sydney-Melbourne rail line is expected to bring benefits for the movement of freight.
More than 1000 rail workers completed works across 200 sites during the recent ‘super possession’, with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) targeting key causes of delays along the corridor, including speed restrictions, track condition and drainage.
ARTC also delivered upgrades targeting reliability and future capacity on the Main South corridor. The works are part of the almost $2.8 billion Network Investment Program, a joint initiative with the Australian government to strengthen the nation’s rail infrastructure.
The ARTC says the September works, combined with improvements delivered through other maintenance and upgrade works over the past year, have contributed to an 88-minute reduction in journey times along the corridor.
Crews also resurfaced track, renewed level crossings and repaired bridges and culverts, upgraded turnouts and carried out other maintenance to improve the safety and reliability of the corridor.
The ARTC also removed 78 internal rail flaws and completed 22 rail adjustments, helping prepare the network for summer.
Work also progressed on the close-out of the Sydney-Narromine-Albury Cabling Upgrade (SNACU) project, with about 70 redundant insulated rail joints removed between Joppa Junction and Cullerin, improving signalling reliability.
The Southern Highlands Overtaking Opportunities Project was also progressed with signalling works completed in Goulburn.
The project is set to provide more opportunities for passenger trains to overtake slower freight trains, reducing delays and improving network capacity.
The works are also delivering faster, more consistent transit times for freight operators.
ARTC group executive operations, Clinton Crump, said this was “a huge effort by our teams, delivering months of work in just a few days across the Sydney-Melbourne corridor”.
“Combined with other improvements delivered over the past year, freight trains can now travel between Sydney and Melbourne 88 minutes faster,” Mr Crump said.
“That’s a significant productivity improvement for freight operators and their customers, while passengers also benefit from faster, smoother and more reliable journeys.
“We’re also investing for the long term through our almost $2.8 billion Network Investment Program with the Australian government, increasing capacity and building a more productive and reliable network.”