- Major rail blitz improves reliability on the Sydney-Melbourne corridor
- More than 1000 rail workers delivered works across 200 sites
- Cumulative improvements over the past year have reduced journey times by 88 minutes
A major maintenance and upgrade blitz on the Sydney-Melbourne rail line has delivered faster, more reliable journeys on one of Australia’s busiest interstate corridors.
More than 1000 rail workers completed works across 200 sites during the recent ‘super possession’ delivering months of maintenance and upgrades in just a few days.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) targeted key causes of delays along the corridor, including speed restrictions, track condition and drainage issues.
ARTC also delivered upgrades targeting reliability and future capacity on the Main South corridor. The works form part of the almost $2.8 billion Network Investment Program – a joint initiative with the Australian Government to strengthen and future proof the nation’s rail infrastructure.
Crews repaired 497 defects, renewed more than 14 kilometres of rail and removed temporary speed restrictions.
Combined with improvements delivered through other maintenance and upgrade works over the past year, the September works 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.
At Cowslip Lane in Victoria, crews completed one of the state’s largest level crossing signalling upgrades in many years, improving safety and reliability for motorists and rail users.
ARTC also removed 78 internal rail flaws and completed 22 rail adjustments, helping prepare the network for the upcoming hot weather season.
In addition to the Network Investment Program, ARTC invests around $190 million each year in scheduled maintenance, with planning for the maintenance blitz starting 12 months in advance.
Completing the work in one coordinated shutdown allowed ARTC to deliver a large program of maintenance and upgrades while avoiding repeated disruptions for freight operators and passengers.
Work also progressed on the close out of the Sydney-Narromine-Albury Cabling Upgrade (SNACU) project, with approximately 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 will provide more opportunities for passenger trains to overtake slower freight trains, reducing delays, and improving network capacity.
The works are delivering faster, more consistent transit times for freight operators, while XPT and V/Line passengers will experience smoother, more reliable journeys.
Clinton Crump, Group Executive Operations, ARTC, 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.
“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.”
