Parkes Phoenix

Inland Rail Completes Major Works Blitz

The awning at Forbes Station was trimmed by 300mm and the track was slewed laterally by more than half a metre during the September possession to enable the safe passing of double-stacked freight trains.

After more than 100 hours of round-the-clock activity, Inland Rail has completed a gruelling schedule of work which puts the Stockinbingal to Parkes section well on the path towards completion.

Starting last Saturday, 13 September, at 6am and finishing on Thursday 19 Septem­ber, at 10am, teams from Inland Rail and principal contractor Martinus Rail complet­ed work at four key sites during a 100-hour shut down of the Australian Rail Track Cor­poration (ARTC) line from Forbes to Goo­bang Junction.

To get this work finished on time, up to 240 rail workers across the four sites completed shifts which began ahead of the shutdown and finished after the line reopened.

James Kennedy, Delivery Director, Albury to Parkes (A2P), Inland Rail, said “The work we have carried out this week can only be done safely when the line is closed.

“Safety is our highest priority and so we make the most of the two available track possessions which take place each year.

“To do that we undertake rigorous and methodical planning, working hand in hand with Martinus Rail, to ensure we complete our work and return the line to the operators on time.

“I would like to thank the communi­ty for their patience and understanding while we carried out these construction tasks.”Treaven Martinus, Martinus Rail CEO and founder, said “The successful comple­tion of this super possession is a testament to the dedication and planning of both the Inland Rail and Martinus teams.

“Across multiple locations, from the instal­lation of turnouts to extensive earthworks and track formation reconstruction, every task was executed with safety and efficien­cy as our top priorities.

“We are grateful for the community’s sup­port and patience.

“Martinus remains steadfast in our mis­sion to deliver this landmark project safely, effectively, and with a focus on creating last­ing value for Australia’s future.”

A tamper packs down the ballast supporting the newly installed rails at the Wyndham Avenue road bridge, where the rail line was lowered by two metres during the September possession to enable the safe passing of double-stacked freight trains.

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