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Rail back on track after cyclones cut services

Trains in Queensland back on line after $3.5 million was spent repairing infrastructure damaged by cyclones

July 26, 2010

Trains in the south west of Queensland are back on line after the state’s government spent $3.5 million repairing infrastructure damaged by cyclones earlier this year.

The inclement weather severely damaged 1100km of track in March, shutting services and cutting links to communities in rural regions.

Queensland Transport Minister Rachel Nolan says repair crews have done a tremendous job in getting the rail network up and running considering the scale of destruction left by the cyclones.

“Crews from Roma helped repair the Quilpie, Roma, Charleville and Cunnamulla rail lines after they were badly damaged by tropical cyclones Olga and Neville in March,” Nolan says.

“The cyclones left an incredible trail of damage. A total of 1100 kilometres of the 2100 kilometre long South West rail network required closures as a result of the flooding – that’s more than half of that rail network.”

The repair works allowed the first cattle train of the 2010 livestock season to operate on the Quilpie to Charleville route.

Howrver, work is still continuing on some sections of track. Nolan expects repairs on the Dalby to Charleville line to finish in August.

Nolan says the Dalby to Roma and Roma to Charleville lines were reopened to all rail traffic in April, but are operating under normal speed restrictions in the areas where maintenance repairs are required.

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