The Australian Rail Track Corporation is gearing up for $20 million in rail maintenance next week.
ARTC Hunter Valley executive general manager Jonathan Vandervoort said the work package will shut the network down next week from 6am on Wednesday, April 27 to late Friday evening, April 29.
“By ‘closing down’ the network and with fewer trains running we create a safer environment for our people and provide the opportunity to get the maximum amount of rail maintenance done in an efficient amount of time,” he said.
“It’s the most efficient and safe way to package the vast amount of work needed rather than spread over many nights and in-between live running rail traffic.”
Maintenance work will take place throughout the Hunter Valley from the Port to Narrabri and from Muswellbrook to Ulan.
Vandervoort reports the ARTC’s annual maintenance program pumps more than $100 million into the local Hunter economy every year.
“That benefits everyone from local hoteliers, restaurants and the corner store to quarries, equipment hire and contract labour companies,” Vandervoort said.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but the maintenance work we do is not funded by the taxpayer – including improvements to Hunter passenger lines.
“Everything is paid for by the revenue we earn from our customers and almost all of the important maintenance work we deliver next week will involve or support local Hunter businesses.”
More than 100 individual projects are scheduled to take place during the two-day shutdown.
Typical tasks include replacing sleepers, cleaning and compacting ballast, welding rail and technical jobs like signaling work, will take place throughout the rail corridor.
The ARTC’s next major, network-wide maintenance shutdown will between July 19 and 21.