Arc’s Major Projects, Mobile Maintenance Team (MMT) and Goldfields-Esperance regional teams collaborated with other internal Arc teams to deliver the crucial upgrades required to enable continued growth on the Esperance Branch Line (EBL).
The turnout works and track upgrades within the Port are part of a broader project planned over several years from 2022 to 2029, delivered in a staged approach.
The 2025 works have been adjusted to meet the current requirements of the line and have included replacing the three turnouts and installing 60kg rail and concrete sleepers within the plain line track sections, as well as reconstructing an adjacent level crossing and tying into the existing track infrastructure.
These improvements to the track infrastructure required a high level of collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Worley, the owner of an underground gas pipeline which intersects with the rail.
Southern Ports was also closely involved with the project, as there were several interfaces with their infrastructure, including adjustment to positions of lighting towers and the railway access gate to the port to facilitate the track design. This complexity required significant logistical planning and ongoing cooperation with Southern Ports to ensure its Port of Esperance operations were not impacted by the works.
This project also marks the first use of Arc’s standard gauge 1:10 turnouts, which will streamline any future maintenance requirements, and helped to ensure works could be completed within the time constraints dictated by the Port shutdown.
Head of Major Projects Sudip Saha said the enhancements made to this section of the track leveraged the shutdown of the Port to ensure the growing Gold Valley haulage task can continue to operate throughout the delivery of the next stages of the project.
“The hard work and dedication of the teams involved in this project has led to successful completion of these critical works now, in 2025, despite the complexities, and have laid the foundation for future upgrades on the EBL”.
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