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Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC) announced today rail operations will officially recommence on the Hunter Valley coal network at 6 pm tomorrow (Friday 15 June).
Although there are presently limited train movements on the Hunter Valley rail network these are work trains testing the track and its associated repairs and track circuits.
ARTC will firstly need to clear the backload of trains currently parked along the network to enable the resumption of normal services.
ARTC estimates the cost of repairs to Hunter Valley rail network from last weekend’s storms and flooding was around $4 million.
“The speedy reopening of the network has been made possible through the enormous effort of ARTC crews over the past 8 and a half days,” said Wayne James, Acting CEO of ARTC.
“This mammoth contribution from our employees and contractors has enabled the network to reopen for business within a remarkably short time.”
The upper Hunter Valley network is planned to re-open with a temporary speed restrictions of 20-30 kms per hour with a single track operating between Branxton and Singleton.
ARTC predicted the Hunter Valley coal network would be back operating at pre storm conditions in two weeks time.
Contact: ARTC
Prue Regan: 0419 297 004
Brian Dale: 0418 204 198