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Track works will begin on Friday 7 December on the Mildura rail corridor, marking the start of the $73 million upgrade of the line. Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Lynne Kosky, and Anthony Albanese, the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and Local Government said a contract had been awarded to construction company John Holland to undertake track and civil works on the line. "The announcement marks the beginning of a new spirit of cooperation between the Commonwealth and Victorian governments on vital future infrastructure projects," Mr Albanese said. Mr Albanese welcomed the beginning of works on the rail line, which will allow freight trains to run at speeds up to 80 km/h, reducing travel times from 14 hours to less than ten. "The Mildura line is one of the busiest freight corridors in Victoria, with around 1.5 million tonnes of produce transported every year," he said. "The upgrade will improve the reliability of the line and give producers greater incentive to transport goods via rail freight." Ms Kosky said the upgrade would include: - installation of over 300,000 sleepers;
- improved drainage across the entire 525 km corridor; and
- around 190,000 tonnes of new ballast.
"Almost one in every two sleepers along the 525 km line will be replaced, helping to ensure a high-quality freight line for many years to come," Ms Kosky said. "As each section of work is completed along the line, we will see progressive improvements in reliability and performance of rail services." Ms Kosky said the start of works was a result of several achievements over the past 12 months. "The Victorian Government buy back of the regional freight network in April allowed us to progress major rail projects, including the Mildura rail freight upgrade," she said. "The project will receive $20 million in funding through the Commonwealth AusLink program." The first stage of works will involve installing new sleepers and rail as well as asphalting and surface improvements at level crossings on the rail line in and around Mildura. There will be some traffic diversions while these works are being carried out from 7 to 13 December. Ms Kosky said the Brumby Government was committed to a sustainable rail freight network which could take up a greater share of the growing freight task. "Freight is vital to the continued economic growth and success of the Mildura region, contributing at least $16 billion to the Victorian economy annually," she said. "The Mildura rail freight track upgrade, together with the Dynon Port AusLink rail project at the Port of Melbourne, will support the Victorian Government's target of increasing the share of port related freight transported by rail." Works are scheduled for completion in 2009.
Media Contacts
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Antony Sachs (
Mr Albanese's Office ) |
0417 493 485
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Jessica Harris (
Ms Kosky's Office ) |
0409 188 743
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