Port Botany Rail Line upgrade powers past halfway mark
04 July 2017
Australian Government:
The
Port Botany Rail Line upgrade
(Stage 3) has passed the halfway mark, with more than 55 per cent of the
works now complete and providing
rail relief for all
Sydney road users.
Completed works include:
-
1.5 kilometres of track reconditioning;
-
9.9 kilometres of concrete re-sleepering;
-
8.4 kilometres of new rail;
-
Six kilometres of new drainage; and
-
Two new retaining structures
Federal Minister for
Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the project was helping
meet the growing demand from the freight industry for rail transport to
Port Botany.
“Loading more freight on to rail is also great news for Sydney
motorists, with every train improving road safety, reducing congestion
and saving time for drivers,” Mr Chester said.
“Sydney's rail freight future is promising, with freight and logistics
companies investing more than a billion dollars to get more freight on
to rail. This increased investment has already helped shift the
equivalent freight on hundreds of trucks on to rail.
“In the last six months alone, new freight loaded on to rail has taken
the equivalent of more than 270 trucks a week—or more than 7,000
trucks—off the roads around Port Botany.
“The Coalition is getting on with the job of building infrastructure
that makes Australia's cities liveable, accessible and productive,
including working with state governments on bringing forward urban rail
plans.
“The most effective way to improve Port Botany's efficiency and
productivity is by enhancing the rail network and pushing more of the
freight task through the port on to rail.
“This project offers improved access and connectivity for rail freight
operators—and in taking freight off the roads is good for both the
people and businesses of
New South Wales as it ultimately assists in
lowering the cost of transport.
“That is good for the back pocket of every consumer buying goods at the
shops and every motorist using roads around Port Botany.
“While road freight is critical to the economy of New South Wales,
Sydney's rapidly expanding population and New South Wales's future
freight growth means it is no longer sustainable to be all carried by
road, so rail needs to move more and more freight.”
The $75 million Port Botany Rail Line upgrade (Stage 3) project is fully
funded by the Australian Government and is scheduled for completion in
2019.
--ENDS--
Source: Australian Government - www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au
Contact: N/A
External Links: N/A
Recent news by: Australian Government