The rail project will take up to 20,000 trucks off roads
The Victorian government says the planned upgrades to the Murray Basin rail project are currently ahead of schedule.
Crews recently completed 109 kilometres of re-sleepering and ballast installations after a contract was awarded for the project’s next stage of works.
Having replaced more than 57,000 sleepers and installed 30,000 tonnes of ballast, the Murray Basin rail project is expected to be completed by mid-2022 and will remove most of the speed and heat restrictions which have limited the use of the line.
According to the Federal government, this stage of the project has involved more than 130 workers on site and brought in over $200,000 a month to the region in spending on accommodation, food and hospitality.
The contract for the next package of works has been awarded to an alliance delivering the works comprised of ACCIONA, Coleman Rail and SMEC, which is supported by Rail Projects Victoria and V/Line.
Further works along the rail line will include track upgrades on the Ararat to Maryborough line and Merbein and Donald siding works.
A modern signalling system will also be installed by V/Line at Ararat Junction to improve safety, efficiency and reduce transit time through the junction, with works now underway.
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The works will enable 49 train paths on the Murray Basin network, up from the current 28 paths, and is estimated to remove around 20,000 truck trips off the road.
The revised scope of works for the Murray Basin rail project is being delivered with an additional $195.2 million investment from the Federal government alongside $48.8 million from the Victorian government.