The ARTC-Inland Rail is preparing the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Albury – Illabo railway project and the relocation of utilities required to enable main construction works will soon start.
The environmental assessment procedure includes a step where ARTC will provide the EIS to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) for their review before formal submission. The work will assure DPE that all key issues have been addressed and the documents provide enough clarity and rigour for the community, and other stakeholders, to understand the possible effects of the proposal.
The team of the project recently received DPE commentary on surface water and the movement of water around each enhancement site and traffic management during the construction period,
DPE has requested more detailed investigation on these topics to be brought forward and included in the EIS, to provide interested stakeholders increased certainty about potential effects of the reference design.
Once this work is completed, the EIS will be available for public review and comment through formal submission. Public exhibition is expected in mid-2022.
Meanwhile, survey work is being undertaken during until the end pf March to prepare for the relocation of utilities including gas, telecommunications, water and electricity, to enable main construction works. This surveying includes locating the utilities inside the rail corridor and just outside the rail fence.
The Albury – Illabo railway project includes modernisation works on 185 km line of the existing rail corridor from the Victoria – NSW border to Illabo in regional New South Wales.
While ARTC will use the existing rail line, it will need to make enhancements and modifications to provide sufficient height and width to support the safe running of double-stacked freight trains. The project would provide enough clearance of the existing Main South Line corridor to operate up to 1,800 metres long and 6.5 metres high trains and support the safe running of double-stacked freight trains. Works will include enhancements to the rail tracks, footbridges and road bridges, overhead structures, signalling structures and systems as well as level crossings. The project is now in the reference design stage.
Recently, ARTC signed a contract with Austrak to deliver concrete sleepers for the modernisation of this rail section.
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