V/Line has begun $10 million in critical maintenance works on the Bendigo to Echuca rail line, according to public transport minister Jacinta Allan.
Allan said the work includes the replacement of 34,000 timber sleepers with concrete ones.
Maintenance crews are targeting 1000 sleepers to be replaced every day between Bendico and Ecucha.
Level crossings at Wakeman Road in Bagshot, Holmes Road in Goornong and Ellicert Road in Echuca will also be resurfaced as part of the works, with new asphalt and tracks laid through the crossings, Allan added.
“These $10 million maintenance works will keep the Bendigo to Echuca line safe and reliable,” Allan said.
“The V/Line crews will be working hard over the next few months, replacing a thousand sleepers a day and renewing three level crossings.
Around 3km of ballast renewal and drainage improvements will be completed at the same time.
The works which involve around 50 workers are part of V/Line’s regular maintenance program, Allan said.
They will be carried out in 10-day blocks over the coming months, with work expected to be complete by the end of August. The operator plans to carry out work between trains, so there is not expected to be any impact on services.
The works come as community consultation on the new Victorian government’s short, medium and long term plan for regional public transport kicks off. Sessions are underway in Gippsland, with consultation across the Loddon-Mallee regional in August. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.
Allan said the Regional Network Development Plan will move Victoria away from ad hoc service improvements, towards a more coordinated regional public transport network where train and bus services work together to get people where they need to go quicker and safer.
The plan will also consider infrastructure upgrades, network extensions and rolling stock requirements, she explained.