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Maintenance work to ensure the safety and reliability of the Hunter Valley coal rail network will take place throughout the Hunter Valley coal chain next week.
The network-wide maintenance shutdown means limited train operations to allow maintenance to be delivered in a safe and efficient way at dozens of worksites across the region.
Typical rail maintenance tasks like replacing sleepers, cleaning and compacting ballast, improving the condition of level crossings as well as technical jobs like signalling work, will take place throughout the Valley.
“By ‘closing down’ the network and with fewer trains running we can ensure we get the maximum amount of rail maintenance done efficiently in the safest possible environment for our people,” said ARTC’s Executive General Manager – Hunter Valley, Jonathan Vandervoort.
Nearly 1,000 ARTC and contract staff will be in the rail corridor during next week’s three-day shutdown from 6am Wednesday 7 October to late Friday evening, 9 October.
“Unfortunately, with work of this scale there will be some disruption and we would like to ask motorists and members of the community to be aware of changed traffic conditions and heavy work vehicles entering and exiting sections of the rail corridor.
“These shutdowns are planned more than a year in advance to allow customers to manage their throughput and production schedules and to ensure integration across the intricately managed Hunter coal chain,” Mr Vandervoort said.
“We would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding while the works take place as we appreciate it does cause inconvenience.”
There are changes to passenger rail services with some services being bussed, for specific service information, please visit www.sydneytrains.info.
Maintenance work will take place throughout the Hunter Valley from the Port to Narrabri and from Muswellbrook to Ulan.
More than $100 million is pumped into the Hunter economy annually as a result of ARTC rail works, supporting local suppliers, businesses and contractors.
The next major, network-wide maintenance shutdown will be between 10-13 November.