Full ARTC response to return to buses on V/Line's Albury route.
The works are part of the ballast rehabilitation program we have underway and will be predominantly between Seymour and Wodonga, on both the east and west tracks.
The works are quite comprehensive and we are looking to undertake a significant amount in a concentrated area of the track.
The types of work include:
· Ballast shoulder cleaning of the east track. Shoulder ballast cleaning removes fine material from the ballast shoulder allowing for improved drainage of the track;
· As part of the process also lifting the track and installing fresh ballast;
· Removing fouled ballast at key locations using track undercutting machinery and replacing it with new ballast;
· Ballast sledding, where the entire rail and sleepers are lifted up and fouled ballast is pushed out to create a new drainage path underneath the sleepers and track. New ballast is then laid across sledded sections of the track and it is "resurfaced" back to the right alignment;
· Track formation renewal works at a number of key locations to provide an engineered and strengthened track foundation; and,
· Extensive drainage works to ensure drainage paths effectively drain the water away from the track structure.
Generally, we’ve made some steady progress to-date and been able to reduce a number of speed restrictions. Customers should be noticing delays to services have been reduced as a result.
