Austrian-based Rhomberg Rail has been awarded the first construction contract for Stage 3 of the A$75 million (USD 54.5 million) Port Botany Rail Line upgrade. The project is fully funded by the Federal Government. The company will deliver concrete re-sleepering and embankment upgrade works to the freight network between Sefton and Campsie in Sydney’s west.
The work awarded in this construction contract is expected to take up to 18 months to complete and starts in November. Pre-construction works for the project commenced in July.
“Stage 3 will not only improve the rail line’s reliability, but improve the connectivity between the Port and the broader Sydney rail freight network, including intermodal terminals. These upgrades will bring the entire metropolitan freight line up to ARTC standards,” Australian infrastructure and regional development minister Warren Truss said.
According to Australian Rail Track Corporation CEO John Fullerton, there are early signs of modal shift to rail, with new import/export freight and regional freight accessing the Port. “In August 2015, a record number of containers were railed to and from Port Botany—over 30,000 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)—or around 15.9 per cent modal share for rail for the month,” Fullerton said.
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