The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has carried out essential rail maintenance and improvement works on the main ARTC line as part of the annual 'Super Possession' between Sydney and Melbourne, improving safety and reliability across the network.
Works took place from Friday 2 September to Monday 5 September and included track re-railing, resurfacing, and reconditioning, as well as drainage restoration, track ballasting, turnout maintenance and bridge maintenance.
Routine track maintenance activities were completed, along with signaling works, and vegetation control works over 300km of track.
The successful 'Super Possession' saw 23km of re-railing, two turnout upgrades, eight turnouts resurfaced, and 1,200 new concrete sleepers installed
These works are part of ARTCs additional investment of more than $170 million over the next three years to improve network resilience, further helping to reduce speed restrictions.
ARTC's General Manager Asset Maintenance Services – Interstate, Costas Kokkoni said:
"This Super Possession saw more than $10 million worth of essential works completed from Sydney to Melbourne, tomaintain a high standard of safety and reliability across the network.
"We are pleased to report that over 22,000 hours of work was completed at 118 worksites across the corridor with no injuries or safe-working breaches.
"40 Temporary Speed Restrictions (TSRs) were removed with a total improvement of 35 minutes for Super Freight, with more TSRs to be lifted in the upcoming days.
"ARTC would like to thank the community for its patience while these critical, long-term improvements took place."
