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Extensive rail infrastructure upgrades and critical maintenance works have recently been completed across vast sections of the Arc Infrastructure rail network, timed within a 110-hour shutdown (no trains operating on main sections of the network).

Arc Infrastructure’s Major Projects, Mobile Maintenance, Third Party Projects, Regional teams from every Arc region (Metro, Goldfields, Mid West, Central and South West) and Planning and Contract Services teams worked throughout the closure period from 3 to 7 September, with more than 30 work sites completed during the 110-hour period. Some teams will carry out post-shut works at various sites across the network until the end of this month.

• Installation of three dual gauge turnouts, a 300-metre loop extension and installation of entirely new signalling and communication systems at Moondyne East, Avon Valley – Avon-Midland line
• Installation of LED signals between Avon and Midland, to further reduce the risk of Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents – Avon-Midland line
• New culvert installed at Darrine on the Eastern Goldfields Railway and upgrades to four culverts at Midland Station.
• Various bridge works, such as timber deck replacement and repair works on the Susannah Brook Bridge (Millendon Junction, Swan Valley) and Spencers Brook Bridge (south of Northam)
• Support works at Midland Station, including a turnout replacement and removal of redundant track infrastructure and the last remaining track works for the Thornlie – Cockburn Link re-alignment project.  
• Various track upgrades, including level crossing upgrades, rerailing and resleepering across the remaining four regions in the Arc network (Goldfields, Central, Mid West and South West).

Arc Infrastructure Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Unwin acknowledged the extensive work of all the teams on the ground performing the work safely, and to such a high standard.

“I want to commend our Arc teams, contractors and supervisors who ensured the tasks we’d set ourselves were completed safely, particularly in the inclement weather our crews faced in the lead-up to and during the 110-hour shut period,” Stephanie said.

“Not only did we complete the work to exceptionally high standards, the extensive scope of simultaneous works completed was simply impressive.

“With more than 30 work sites across a network as vast as ours, planning and coordinating resources such as people, plant and materials, is absolutely key to the success of these sorts of works programs.”

The main shutdown (3 – 7 September) of the Eastern Goldfields Railway, the Arc network’s busiest line, was timed to align with one of our key customer’s shutdowns.

“Aligning this major shut with CBH’s shutdown at its Kwinana site is an example of the collaboration Arc is committed to undertaking with our customers,” Stephanie said.

“By streamlining our approach to undertaking these works during a network shutdown, instead of between train services, means our teams are able to complete more work and ensure we are then providing a high quality, well maintained network for the use of all our customers and future rail users.

“A safe, reliable and efficient freight rail network is vital to the economic growth and development of Western Australia. Arc’s commitment to providing this enables our farmers, miners and businesses to move their product intrastate, interstate and internationally – Arc’s role is central to the prosperity of our state.”

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