A major landslip on the main western rail line has now been fixed, allowing freight train services to resume through the Blue Mountains
Following a major landslip, freight operations on the main western rail line near the Blue Mountains have been restored to full operations.
New South Wales regional transport and roads minister Sam Farraway says the night-time freight operations returned to usual service last week, with 76 freight trains resuming their usual trips.
The restoration work came after the main western line was damaged, with weather events causing a landslip to develop between Blackheath and Mount Victoria.
The landslip stopped freight moving to Port Botany, with Farraway confirming the freight route has fully reopened.
“Thanks to the hard work of Sydney Trains, night-time freight operations were restored on the evening of July 24 and, since then, we have seen trains carrying coal, grain, bulk materials and general freight safely travelling the route,” Farraway says.
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“Once again, this vital rail line is connecting the central west to our domestic and international markets.”
Sydney Trains crews worked constantly for nearly four weeks to restore the freight line, with the repairs requiring around 40,000 tonnes of gabion rock.
Pacific National CEO Paul Scurrah says his company can now gratefully return to running its usual main western line services.
“The Blue Mountains rail line is a vital link in the national supply chain connecting thousands of regional exporters and importers and primary producers to ports, processing plants, freight terminals and mills across the state,” Scurrah says.