MEDIA RELEASE
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will begin a five day track upgrade in Cootamundra from 25 June to 30 June, ARTC CEO John Fullerton said today.
“The work will involve rebuilding around a kilometre of track between Pinkerton Road and Muttama (Gundagai) Road which will include removing the rail, sleepers and ballast and reshaping the base of the track as well as improving the track drainage.
“ARTC appreciates the concerns that the Cootamundra community have previously expressed about the appearance of the track adjacent to the station and this five day track upgrade will fix that problem.
“The track condition problems between Melbourne and Sydney have been well documented.
“Poor ballast condition and poor drainage have led to mudholes along the corridor.
“The work we are undertaking to rebuild this section of track is an important part of our major program to repair the line between Melbourne and Sydney so that we can remove the current speed restrictions that are in place, safely.
“In order to carry out the work as quickly and efficiently as possible work will occur 24 hours per day, and ARTC will make every effort to minimise noise generated by the works overnight.
“Residents in the immediate vicinity have been notified and we are talking to a number of residents in the area about how we can manage the impact of the works,” Mr Fullerton said.
The work may result in minor delays to traffic movements at the Pinkerton & Mattama Road Level Crossings, however CountryLink XPT services between Melbourne and Sydney will not be affected by the work.