<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> As part of the $25.5 million federally funded study for the preparation of detailed designs for the Maldon-Dombarton railway in NSW, engineering and environmental investigations are now underway to help get the long-awaited rail link âshovel readyâ for the next major round of national infrastructure funding. </span> <p>Teams of specialist engineers and environmental advisers have begun work on identifying and investigating the design, safety and conservation issues associated with the proposed Maldon to Dombarton rail link.</p><p>Federal infrastructure and transport minister Anthony Albanese said the work now being undertaken will help get the project ‘shovel ready’ and include assessing the structural integrity of the line’s partially constructed sections.</p><p>“As with any new, major piece of infrastructure we need to make sure that we get the planning right from the very beginning. What’s more, the work of the consultants will be vital to securing the necessary planning and environmental approvals,” said Mr Albanese.</p><p>“Our aim is to have all these preconstruction activities wrapped up in time for the project to be considered for possible inclusion in our next multibillion dollar road and rail construction program due to start in mid-2014.”</p><p>The project would involve laying thirty five kilometres of standard gauge track connecting Port Kembla directly to the Main North South Line. It would provide an alternative to the existing Moss Vale-Unanderra line and RailCorp’s Illawarra line for the transport of freight, especially coal, to and from Port Kembla and would ease road and rail congestion in the region.</p><p>The planning and pre-construction design work for the project is being managed by Transport for NSW. The first phase includes preliminary engineering, operational and environmental investigations and cost planning. </p><p>Transport for NSW has engaged Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) to investigate the design, safety and operational issues involved in completing the line. PB is initially focussing on the design and related safety issues associated with train operations through the proposed four kilometre tunnel that would be required to be constructed as part of the project. </p><p>GHD has been engaged to undertake the initial review of the potential environmental issues in the rail corridor and surrounding areas. This work will be critical to securing the planning and environmental approvals necessary before construction can begin.</p><p>GHD is conducting field work related to ecology (flora and fauna and aquatic life) and reviewing Aboriginal heritage in the study area, in light of previous work, and noise monitoring.</p>
