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Progress continues on upgrading the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor with Australian Rail Track Corporation completing the extension of a passing loop at Kyarran, north of Grafton NSW.
The passing loop at Kyarran has been extended from 380 meters to 1570 meters. Trains are now able to enter and leave the passing loops at increased speed. This will reduce travel time and add flexibility to the network.
ARTC Chief Executive Officer David Marchant said the new passing loop builds on the work already completed and will result in shorter transit times between Brisbane and Sydney.
“ARTC’s drive to upgrade the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane corridor and make rail transport more competitive continues unabated. This passing loop is another important milestone in the north-south strategy to cut the transit time from Melbourne to Sydney to as low as 10 hours 40 minutes and 15 hours 35 minutes between Sydney and Brisbane,” Mr Marchant said.
“Extending the Kyarran passing loop will allow trains more efficiently pass one another not only with the introduction of high speed turnouts, but also with upgraded signal technology.”
“It will increase the capacity of the line and make the rail corridor more reliable and more efficient.”
“The passing lanes ARTC is constructing along the rail corridor, the new concrete sleepers, and the signal upgrades are, combined, perhaps the biggest rail project since the track was originally laid,” Mr Marchant said.
“The investment in this corridor upgrade will see rail becoming competitive, and as each 1500 metre long train can replace 100 semi trailers we could see less trucks on our major roads,” Mr Marchant said.