The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)’s annual ‘Super Possession’ of the Sydney to Melbourne railway line will occur next weekend, enabling rail maintenance and improvement works to be done.
The aim of a possession is to provide a safe, traffic-free worksite for activities to be carried out, such as remedial works, inspections, routine checks and planned renewals.
The line will be closed for three days, from 6am Saturday, March 18, until 6pm Monday, March 20, during which works such as track re-railing, resurfacing, and reconditioning will be carried out, as well as drainage restoration, track ballasting, level crossing upgrades, relocation of utilities, and bridge maintenance.
Routine track maintenance activities will be completed, along with signaling works, and vegetation control.
To minimise disruption to customers, the ARTC ‘Super Possession’ will run in conjunction with similar possessions on the Sydney Trains network.
These works are part of ARTC’s additional investment over the next three years to improve network resilience, further helping to reduce speed restrictions.
During this period, early works will also commence on the Southern Highlands Overtaking Opportunities project at Werai. Works will include earthworks, and installing ballast, sleepers, and rail. This project is being delivered with $41.6 million in funding support from the Australian Government.
The project aims to increase flexibility and reduce congestion on the network, by allowing freight trains to be overtaken by faster services.
The Super Possession also provides the opportunity for ARTC to undertake Inland Rail construction at Glenrowan and Barnawartha North.
ARTC will also facilitate early works on the Melbourne Airport Rail project with the installation of monitoring equipment on the Maribyrnong Bridge and carry out geotechnical investigations.
ARTC interstate asset maintenance services general manager Costas Kokkoni said more than $15 million worth of essential works will be completed from Sydney to Melbourne, to maintain a high standard of safety and reliability across the network.
“Work will be completed across 90 worksites along the corridor in New South Wales and Victoria, including early works commencing on the Southern Highlands Overtaking Opportunities project,” he said.
“ARTC would like to thank the community for their patience while these critical, long-term improvements take place.”
Road coaches will replace trains on all NSW TrainLink and V/Line Albury line services. Customers can contact www.transportnsw.info for more details or call 13 22 22 or V/Line to check on service status and any alternate transport arrangements.
