- Maintenance works occurring on the railway between Telarah in NSW and Acacia Ridge in Qld
- Shutdown from 6am Saturday 17 May to 6pm Monday 19 May
- Essential track maintenance will maintain high safety and reliability standards
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will carry out essential maintenance and improvement works on the North Coast line next week to deliver a safer and more reliable rail network.
Trackwork will be undertaken across various work sites on the North Coast line from Telarah in New South Wales to Acacia Ridge in Queensland from 6am Saturday 17 May to 6pm Monday 19 May.
The shutdown is part of ARTC's annual maintenance program and is a significant investment in the network.
More than 5,000 hours of work will be completed on the North Coast line including, re-railing, re-sleepering as well as maintenance and upgrading of structures, track maintenance and level crossing track works
This closedown is aligned with maintenance works on the Hunter Valley line, which will close the track between Newcastle and Turrawan and between Muswellbrook and Ulan from 3am Saturday 17 May until 3am Tuesday 20 May.
ARTC crews will minimise the impact of the work wherever possible, including positioning light towers to shine away from residences, watering down work areas and limiting the number of machines operating at any one time.
Coaches and buses will replace NSW TrainLink services during the trackwork period and customers are encouraged to visit Transportnsw.info or call 13 22 32 for assistance in planning their journey.
Information on road closures or diversions and alternative routes can be found at livetraffic.com.
ARTC is reminding motorists and pedestrians to remain vigilant for altered traffic conditions near the rail corridor, pay attention to signage and to obey all road rules at level crossings, with rail machinery active on rail lines.
Clinton Crump, Group Executive Operations, ARTC said:
"Regular maintenance ensures that the North Coast line continues to operate as a vital part of the economic supply chain and provide travel connections to communities throughout New South Wales and south east Queensland.
"The program of works is designed to minimise disruption to passenger and freight services and ARTC would like to thank the North Coast community for its patience while these critical, long-term improvements take place.
"These maintenance works have been aligned with scheduled track work on the Hunter Valley line as part of a coordinated effort to minimise disruption to customer and passenger services while essential maintenance is undertaken."
