- Maintenance and improvement works will close the Sydney to Melbourne line
- Works are part of a program to improve network resilience and reliability
- Passengers advised to plan their journeys, with closures from 10:30pm Friday 5 December to 2am Monday 8 December
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will carry out essential rail maintenance and improvement works this weekend on the main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne.
During the works, the railway line will be closed between:
- Chullora and Moss Vale in NSW from 10:30pm on Friday 5 December to 2:00am Monday 8 December.
- Moss Vale and Cootamundra in NSW from 6:00am Saturday 6 December to 6:00pm Sunday 7 December.
- Cootamundra in NSW and Tottenham in Victoria from 6:00am Saturday 6 December to 11:00pm Sunday 7 December.
Maintenance activities include re-railing, track reconditioning, structure repairs and upgrades, mudhole removal, and track tamping.
In addition to maintenance, resilience building works include the upgrade of 2 culverts with new reinforced concrete box culverts at Tahmoor and Bargo as well as ballast renewal at Picton in NSW.
Major works will be undertaken as part of the Inland Rail project, including the demolition of the Albury station footbridge to make way for a new elevated pedestrian overpass and a range of signalling, piling and construction activities on all eight Victorian sites.
Coaches and buses will replace NSW Trainlink services, including the Sydney to Melbourne XPT and V/Line Albury Line trains during this time. For up-to-date journey information, customers are encouraged to visit Transportnsw.info or vline.com.au for assistance in planning their journey.
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 heavy machinery active on rail lines.
Information on road closures or diversions and alternative routes can be found at Live Traffic NSW and VicTraffic.
Clinton Crump, Group Executive Operations, ARTC, said:
"This planned network shutdown allows us to complete significant works and upgrades, maintaining the safety and reliability of the Sydney to Melbourne rail corridor.
"Key to the activities will be the ballast renewal works which are being delivered under the Network Investment Program - a $1billion resilience building partnership with the Australian Government which includes significant scope targeted at improving flood resilience and immunity in critical areas of the network.
"ARTC would like to thank the community for their patience as we undertake these important long-term improvements."
