- Up to 30 minutes improvement for freight trips on key interstate route
- 176 worksites tackled in 83.5-hour ‘super possession’ push
- 1,300 rail specialists upgrade network to lift reliability and modernise the corridor
A major rail shutdown on the Sydney-Melbourne line will slash freight travel times by up to 30 minutes, in a boost to one of Australia’s busiest interstate corridors.
The 83.5-hour ‘super possession’ will bring together a concentrated burst of maintenance and upgrade works across 176 sites in NSW and Victoria, closing the rail line from 10:30 pm Friday, 11 September to 10:00 am Tuesday, 15 September.
By shutting the line and working around the clock, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) can complete months of maintenance in days – cutting costs and avoiding repeated disruptions for operators and passengers.
Around 1,300 rail specialists from ARTC and contracting partners will be deployed across the shutdown, delivering the broad program of maintenance and significant upgrades, including track rehabilitation, ballast renewal, tamping, undercutting and signalling maintenance.
The works will target the main causes of delays, including temporary speed restrictions, track condition and drainage issues.
Removing speed restrictions at 11 locations will cut more than 17 minutes from freight journey times, with other maintenance and upgrade works contributing to an overall time saving of up to 30 minutes.
Freight operators are expected to benefit from faster, more consistent transit times, while XPT passengers will also see smoother, more reliable journeys.
ARTC invests around $190 million each year in scheduled maintenance, with planning for this shutdown commencing 12 months in advance. As part of the shutdown, ARTC will also deliver upgrades targeting operational 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 and future proof the nation’s rail infrastructure.
The Sydney-Narromine-Albury Cabling Upgrade (SNACU) project will also continue, removing about 70 redundant insulated rail joints between Joppa Junction and Cullerin as legacy signalling is retired and the network modernised with improved reliability as the outcome.
Separately, Inland Rail will use the broader shutdown window to undertake major construction works. At Broadford, the Marchbanks Road bridge will be demolished and new beams spanning 60 metres installed. Works will also continue at Kemp Street bridge in Junee and Edmondson Street bridge in Wagga Wagga.
This work will also promote spending into regional communities, with crews staying and supporting local businesses in towns along the corridor.
ARTC will minimise impacts where possible, including managing noise, light and dust during the works.
Coaches will replace NSW TrainLink and V/Line services during the shutdown. Customers are encouraged to plan ahead at transportnsw.info (13 22 32) or V/Line (1800 800 007)
Information on road closures or diversions is available at livetraffic.com.
Motorists and pedestrians should remain alert near the rail corridor, follow signage and obey all road rules at level crossings with heavy maintenance equipment still travelling on the lines.
For updates, visit the ARTC Trackwork website, or call the Community line on 1300 550 402.
Clinton Crump, Group Executive Operations, ARTC, said:
“ARTC’s maintenance blitz is a smarter way of working – we can deliver months of work in just a few days, reducing costs and limiting disruption to customers and passengers.
The payoff is faster freight, fewer delays and a smoother trip for passengers.
We’re also investing for the long term through continued delivery of our almost $2.8 billion Network Investment Program, a joint initiative between ARTC and the Australian Government targeting the root causes of delays and building a more reliable network.”
