Major track upgrades and replacement works will close the NSW-Victoria railway in southern NSW this weekend, and shut a section of the Olympic Highway near Bethungra, the Australian Rail Track Corporation has said.
The ARTC this week advised motorists to seek an alternative route due to the highway closure.
The highway will be closed from Saturday morning to Sunday night between Junee and Cootamundra.
A southbound detour, expected to take an hour extra, will be in place via Cootamundra, Stockinbingal, Temora, Old Junee and then back to the Olympic Highway.
The closure is due to a level crossing upgrade at Tanyinnah, north of Bethungra.
It is among a number of upgrades to the rail line due to take place over the weekend, as part of the ARTC’s major overhaul of the railway between NSW and Victoria – specifically between Albury, on the NSW border, and Enfield, in Sydney’s inner west.
Rail work will take place between 10.30pm on Friday, August 31, and 6pm on Monday, September 3.
From Chullora to Moss Vale the corridor will be closed from 10.30pm on Friday to 2am on Monday. Between Goulburn and Albury work will take place from 6am on Saturday to 6pm on Monday.
Rail work includes track reconditioning and resurfacing, rail replacement, rail bridge repairs and testing, vegetation management, signal maintenance and level crossing upgrades.
“The shutdown allows us to do the track maintenance and upgrades that cannot be done safely when trains are running to help ensure service reliability,” ARTC general manager of interstate asset management Brian Green said.
“In total there will be over 40 separate jobs being completed over the weekend with over 300 people working day and night in the rail corridor.
“Can we also ask communities close to the rail corridor to please be cautious during the weekend, and in keep an eye out for truck movements in and out of work sites.”
NSW Trains will be providing replacement coach services during the maintenance shutdown.
Victoria’s V/ Line services between Melbourne and Albury will be unaffected.