State Government spends $277 million targeting upgrades and repairs to level crossings, bridges, ballast, rails and sleepers
September 13, 2012
The NSW Government will replace 55,000 timber sleepers and upgrade 265km of grain rail lines as part of its $277 million upgrade in a bid to attract more bulk freight onto rail.
The move is in contrast to the experience in Western Australia, where grain lines are being closed in favour of increased spending on rural roads.
By the end of next year, 57km of old track from Armatree to Coonamble will be replaced, ensuring reliable train operations along the 150 km length of the Troy Junction to Coonamble grain line, NSW Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay says.
“We’re determined to improve the condition and reliability of country grain lines to attract more bulk freight onto rail, in the process easing pressure on rural and regional roads,” Gay says.
Some 265km of track will be resurfaced 22 level crossings upgraded.
Sixteen 16 rail bridges will also be replaced or upgraded, including the laying of 20,000 tonnes of ballast.
“We have a mantra in the O’Farrell Government and that is to ‘get the state moving again’,” Gay says.
“To help achieve this, over the next five years the government will be spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars on maintenance and upgrade works to the state’s 996km of grain rail lines.”
It has already replaced 109,000 old timber sleepers with modern steel sleepers in the last 18 months, including resurfacing 609km of track, constructing 27 new bridges and upgrading 18 level crossings.
The Government has also laid 61,000 tonnes of ballast and refurbished 20km of old worn rail.
