<p>The Federal Government has released a further $45m instalment from the $2.4bn kitty that it has assigned towards rail under the AusLink scheme.</p> <p>The money is to fund the duplication of the standard gauge line between Tottenham and Dynon, effectively doubling the capacity of the rail freight system in the area and removing one of the most troublesome bottlenecks in Melbourne’s rail system serving the port.</p> <p>Transport minister Mark Vaile described the existing rail link as “inefficient, third-world infrastructure”.</p> <p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the Federal Government’s operating entity in regard to rail tracks on the eastern seaboard, has indicated that work on the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2008.</p> <p>The project would cover the rail lines from the port, from Southern Cross Station through the Dynon yards, where the main line split east to Adelaide and Perth and north to Sydney and Brisbane, Mr Vaile said. </p> <p>It would remove the single track bottleneck that had restricted rail access between the Dynon rail freight yards through Tottenham yards to Sunshine-Brooklyn and the east-west and north-south interstate rail networks to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.</p> <p>"The construction of the additional standard gauge track, together with associated major signalling works, will see both tracks bi-directional from West Footscray to Simms St, facilitating more efficient train movements in both directions," he said.</p> <p>Mr Vaile said the 1.5 km Tottenham to West Footscray section could handle only one train movement at a time, with the result that other trains have to be stopped and left idling until the first train travelled slowly through the section. </p> <p>"On completion of the project trains will be able to smoothly traverse the section, passing each other at a medium speed, without the need to stop, idle and restart again," he said. </p> <br />
