Arc Infrastructure used the extended Australind service outage to complete a range of upgrade works to parts of the network utilised by the Perth to Bunbury service, which recommenced operations this week.
The main works completed by Arc included a level crossing renewal at Robertson Road and the complete replacement of the rail bridge near Dodson Road in Bunbury.
The rail bridge replacement project near Dodson Road involved the demolition of the old timber bridge in October 2024 and a full replacement of the asset. The original full timber bridge, which crossed a tributary of the Preston River, was approximately 100 years old.
Following the bridge demolition in late 2024, Arc teams started from the ground up; setting pile foundations, followed by concrete abutments and a new steel ballasted deck, which was fabricated locally in Perth. Finally, the track was replaced with new low-profile concrete sleepers.
The full demolition and rebuild was completed in 12 months, with crews finishing the project in September 2025.
Arc’s Head of Major Projects Sudip Saha said the project presented the teams with a few unique challenges in terms of operating environment.
“A lot of our work is generally in more remote areas, but this time we were demolishing and completely rebuilding a rail bridge in the middle of Bunbury and in turn needing to build in considerations for residents close by,” Sudip said.
“Additionally, we were working with very soft ground (being a creek bed), so we needed to make sure our pile design was fit for purpose for this bridge and this took a little extra time to get right.”
The age of the original timber bridge meant speed restrictions were in place for the old Australind service when it passed through this area. Improvements mean these have now been lifted.
General Manager Customer Operations, Network Strategy & Project Delivery Paul Lowney said with the recent return of the Australind service, it was an opportunity to reflect on the project and the high-standard of work completed.
“The prolonged service outage meant our teams were able to complete work that would otherwise been difficult to undertake, as extended line closures are not typical in rail operations,” Paul said.
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