The works were carried out during an 88-hour track possession with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Melbourne to Sydney line closed from 9-12 March. Workers across sites from Stockinbingal to Parkes worked around the clock to progress major construction and return the line to operation.
At Daroobalgie, north of Forbes, level crossing works were carried out, including upgrades to the existing under track and road drainage. Reconditioning works were also undertaken to support the future installation of new turnouts for the Daroobalgie crossing loop later in the year.
At Forbes, piling works were completed in preparation for future track lowering works under the Wyndham Avenue road bridge. Track works commenced at Forbes Yard, including track removal of a turnout and yard lines, and resurfacing to achieve horizontal clearances between rail lines and structures. Tamping works were also finalised at Bribbaree Yard, completing the GrainCorp site which now meets the requirements for Inland Rail.
Work at Forbes during the super possession. (Source: Inland Rail)
The works are a key milestone towards Inland Rail being completed between Beveridge and Parkes by 2027, and connecting to existing rail networks between Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and the Illawarra.
Melvyn Maylin, Inland Rail Director of Program Delivery for Albury to Parkes, said:
"It was a group effort behind the scenes for both Inland Rail and Martinus teams to take advantage of this possession window and successfully complete our planned works.
"This possession has allowed us to maintain momentum on time-critical items, with the team well on task to deliver this project on schedule or earlier. A big congratulations to all those who worked tirelessly to make this happen.
"We'd also like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as we carried out these construction tasks."
Inland Rail workers at Forbes Station. (Source: Inland Rail)
Treaven Martinus, Martinus CEO and Founder, said:
"Both the Martinus and Inland Rail teams worked collaboratively over the 88-hour possession to deliver 100 percent of the planned scope of works.
"There were no safety incidents, near misses or environmental incidents reported. This is an extraordinary effort and shows what good planning, engineering and communication can achieve.
"The track was handed back ahead of schedule and train movements have resumed. I'm thrilled with the quality of the work the teams have delivered."
