Arc Infrastructure (previously named Brookfield Rail) have developed a plan to reopen the water-drenched Newdegate line before harvest and prevent flooding damage across the area’s rail network into the future.
The Newdegate line has been closed since the track was inundated with floodwaters in early February. Most of the other flooded lines were reopened in February, while the Wagin to Lake Grace and Lake Grace to Hyden portions of track were reopened in March.
Paul Lowney from Arc Infrastructure said in June that the company had been investigating a number of solutions to get the Newdegate line up and running again, including draining Lake Biddy and pumping away water from the area.
The new solution just announced by the company will cost $1.5 million, and involves lifting the existing track to allow the formation to be built-up by 1 metre. Arc Infrastructure has said that it believes the project will reduce the impact of flooding to the line in the long term.
The company will be providing all the funds for the works itself, and is currently undertaking design and engineering works, engaging suppliers, and finalising the timeline and costings for the project before its commencement within a matter of weeks.