Below Rail Infrastructure, Engineering, Freight Rail, Passenger Rail

North east Vic locals be consulted for Inland Rail and North East Line Upgrade

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will be holding six community consultation sessions in north east Victoria this week for the Inland Rail project and the North East Line Upgrade.

ARTC’s general manager of asset management Brian Green said that the community pop-up sessions would allow information regarding the two major projects to be shared with communities in the area, and allow questions from the public to be answered and feedback to be gathered.

“We know the community has a strong interest in these rail projects and will be keen to get an update on where we are at, and what it may mean for them. That’s what these sessions are about,” Green said.

The federal government recently approved $235 million in funding for the North East Rail Line project. The aim of the project is to improve V/Line services more reliable and reduce delays by upgrading the line to achieve Victorian Class 2 performance standard. The project forms part of the $1.7 billion Regional Rail Revival program, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.

The Class 2 performance standard is necessary for the new VLocity fleet to run along the line.

The works are to include replacing and adding ballast, mudhole removal, drainage improvements, relocating signalling wires underground, railway bridge replacement and improvement, rail replacement and rejuvenation, and track improvement works at level crossings.

The Tottenham to Albury section of the Inland Rail project is planned along 305km of existing rail corridor from metropolitan Melbourne to the Victoria-NSW border at Albury-Wodonga.

This project will see enhancements of existing structures to provide increased clearances along the rail corridor. These will accommodate double stack freight trains of 1,800 metres in length to be run on the track.