Completion of the Cootamundra to Parkes Track Upgrade, NSW

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

A major milestone in the modernisation of the East West rail corridor has been reached with the recent completion of the 201 kilometre Cootamundra to Parkes concrete resleepering project in New South Wales.

The $91.5 million project replaced worn track, as well as timber sleepers with 301,000 new concrete sleepers. The line was originally laid as a secondary line and could only carry trains operating under strict weight and speed restrictions.

The upgrade will reduce the need for temporary speed restrictions in the summer months, as wooden sleepers can buckle in the heat. This will improve the capacity of the track and improve transit times.

The project was undertaken as part of a $1.2 billion equity injection into the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) by the Australian Government.

ARTC CEO, Mr David Marchant, said the upgrade was also good news for the wider community.

“Not only has the project generated jobs and provided a boost to the local economy, but the new track will allow more freight to be transported by rail, which overtime will lead to fewer trucks on our roads,” said Mr Marchant.

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