Inland Rail builds momentum during ‘super possession’

The shutdown enabled ARTC to carry out essential rail maintenance to improve safety and reliability across the network and allowed Inland Rail to undertake intensive construction activities in Glenrowan, Barnawartha North and various sites along the North East rail line.

Works in Glenrowan focused on installing concrete piles as part of a retention system to protect the formation of the existing track while construction on the new Beaconsfield Parade bridge is undertaken over the next six months.

Forty-six piles were installed at a depth of around 6m each. With this protection in place, construction on the new bridge foundations can be undertaken without impacting train services.

In Barnawartha North, extensive drainage works were completed that required 14m of both the east and west tracks to be removed and rebuilt.

This work included cutting the track north of the Murray Valley bridge road overpass, digging a 4.2m trench, laying a 12.5m length of reinforced concrete pipe, before backfilling the trench and reinstating the track.

Other works undertaken included pulling power and signal cables through a 560m underground combined services route, before commissioning the services for use, and relocation of Telstra services using an underbore machine where cables were pulled through a 52m sleeve pipe.

The round-the-clock construction activities at both sites were managed safely and effectively and will allow ongoing construction without interruption to operations.

Other activities undertaken during the ‘super possession’ included powerline and signalling works with the replacement of four power poles south of Seymour and the removal of two redundant power poles within the rail corridor.

In Wangaratta, a clean-up of old rail and sleepers in and around the station precinct was undertaken and some redundant tracks removed.

Inland Rail will transform how we move goods around Australia, enabling safer, less congested highways.