<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is shutting Hunter Valley network for a total of 110 hours this week for maintenance. </span> <p>An ARTC spokesperson said a significant amount of work will be taking place during the closure, which began at 6am on Monday and will continue until 8pm on Friday night (November 21). <br /><br />“In addition to regular maintenance tasks, this Hunter Valley shutdown will allow important final works to be undertaken at major infrastructure projects throughout the Hunter Valley coal rail corridor,” the spokesperson said.<br /><br />Final construction and testing activities will take place at the Hexham Relief Roads and Gunnedah Yard Upgrade projects as well as associated works for the Scone Reconfiguration Project, the ARTC said.<br /><br />General track maintenance activities will also take place, including level crossing improvements, re-railing, track resurfacing and other standard maintenance tasks.<br /><br />This closure was planned over 12 months ago, and the ARTC says all pre-planned network closures of this size are announced that far ahead.<br /><br />“[Extended closures] are an important part of delivering large packages of work in an environment much safer than a live one where multiple trains can run past at any time,” the spokesperson said.<br /><br />“It also minimises overall disruption to our passenger, freight and coal customers.”<br /><br />More than 150 projects are being completed this closedown, with maintenance works worth in excess of $20 million being delivered, the ARTC said.<br /><br />Over a thousand workers will be on the corridor, including local contractors and suppliers, stretching from the Port in the South, out to the Ulan in the West and Narrabri in the North.</p>
