Sleepers signal the start of the Cootamundra to Parkes upgrade
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
The first of 301,000 new concrete railway sleepers have been
unloaded near Parkes as part of the Cootamundra to Parkes Track
Upgrade in New South Wales.
The project is just one of the 17 rail projects that have been
fast-tracked as part of the Nation Building – Economic Stimulus
Plan, which saw the Government inject $1.2 billion into the
interstate freight rail network through the Australian Rail Track
Corporation (ARTC).
The project includes the replacement of existing timber sleepers
with concrete sleepers along the 201 kilometre section between
Cootamundra and Parkes, as well as works to remove badly worn and
highly fatigued rail.
More than 3,400 new concrete rail sleepers have been delivered by
train from Grafton, and more will continue to arrive before re-sleepering
work begins in August by crews managed by the ARTC.
The project is expected to result in better efficiency from the
track, as well as reduced transit times and greater capacity between
Cootamundra and Parkes.
The re-sleepering project is expected to be completed in early
2010.
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