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ARTC prepares for Southern Highlands shutdown

Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) workers will take over the Southern Highlands rail network from Friday to deliver roughly $7 million in planned maintenance.

An ARTC spokesperson said the network would close from Friday, September 2 until 6pm on Tuesday, September 6 while ARTC employees and its contractors deliver roughly 50 projects at worksites spread from the Southern Highlands through the Riverina to Albury.

“Preparations are already underway in earnest, delivering rail, preparing scaffolding and dropping off supplies, before we start the mammoth rail maintenance program,” the spokesperson said on August 25.

“This work is critical to ensuring the safety and reliability of the rail network, and is part of our annual maintenance program.”

The ARTC has in the past delivered the major shutdown maintenance during the Christmas period, but according to the spokesperson, customer feedback suggested less disruption would be caused by a September shutdown.

$7 million in rail maintenance work will include re-railing, bridge works, turnout replacements, track undercutting and signalling work.

The ARTC will also have heavy rail grinding track machines operating on a continuous basis from the Sydney metropolitan area through to Albury, at the NSW/Victoria border.

“While most of the work will be delivered during daylight hours, the nature of some projects means some work will unavoidably take place overnight,” the spokesperson explained.