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Murray Basin rail project on track: Ouyen to Murrayville early works completed

The Victorian government says it is continuing to work on updating freight rail lines in the Murray Basin.

The state government of Victoria says its Murray Basin rail project is on track as works from Ouyen to Murrayville have been completed. 

The Victorian government says local producers are benefitting from the early works completion while the rail project continues to progress elsewhere.  

Early works on the 109km Ouyen to Murrayville train line in north-west Victoria as part of the Murray Basin rail project has seen the line’s heat and speed restrictions removed, as well as the replacement of 57,000 sleepers and the addition of 30,000 tonnes of ballast and adjusting track.  

These works will boost the safety and reliability of the line while also enabling it to remain open when temperatures reach 33 degrees. 

“It’s great to see early works complete on the Ouyen to Murrayville line – which will improve safety, capacity and reliability of services and better connect local producers to our major ports,” Minister for transport and infrastructure Jacinta Allan says 


Read more: VTA calls for Autralian freight industry awards nominations 


 Meanwhile, track upgrades continue on the Ararat to Maryborough line with the installation of 160km of 47kg rail starting in late April and continuingthrough to September. 20km of the new track has already been installed.  

The upgrade to a higher standard of track will allow freight trains of all types to increase their load capacity by 15 per cent. While other works will enable weekly return train paths to increase by up to 48 per cent, removing 20,000 trucks off regional roads each year.   

In other regions of the project, construction is continuing on a 300-metre siding in the Donald Yard rail yard to provide improved operations for freight trains and wagons when they are not in use.   

“These works and our investments across the freight network mean heavier and faster trains, bringing costs down for our primary producers and exporters and making it easier to get products to market,” Minister for ports and freight Melissa Horne says. 

More information about the Murray Basin Rail Project is available online at regionalrailrevival.vic.gov.au.  

 

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