Sydney to Perth freight line reopened after five weeks

THE FIVE-week closure of the rail freight line between Sydney and Perth has ended with its reopening after severe flooding.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has reopened the Broken Hill line, restoring services between Sydney and Perth with more than 28 trains scheduled to travel the line in the next five days.

The line connects Sydney to Perth for rail freight services on the nationally significant supply chain link.

The corridor was closed after severe flooding caused washaways at seven locations on the Broken Hill line and caused structural damage to the Thackaringa Bridge.

An ARTC media release said specialist engineers and crews worked around the clock completing 5300 maintenance hours over the last two weeks to safely repair the bridge and the track.

“Works were completed 10 days ahead of the repair timeline initially forecast,” the statement said.

“During the closure, freight was diverted onto the Melbourne to Perth rail line which re-established a vital east-west freight connection between the eastern states and Western Australia.

“Alternative freight pathways via Melbourne and Adelaide provided headroom to support redirected freight volumes, helping to maintain the movement of essential goods across the national supply chain."

ARTC group executive, operations, Clinton Crump praised the work of its contracting partners, which included CAT5rail, Exact Contracting, HCH and Hatch, who Mr Crump said were able to undertake the complex works safely and in a timely fashion.

“Strong collaboration between ARTC and freight operators kept national supply chains moving while prioritising the safety of our people, our contractors, customers, and the integrity of the network,” Mr Crump said.