East West rail line closed after flooding, ARTC inspects damage

Australia’s East West rail line closed after heavy rain and flooding prompted the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to shut the route, according to an ARTC media statement.

ARTC flooding track washaways and the affected corridor

Meanwhile, ARTC said the corridor between McLeay and Bookaloo has been “significantly impacted”, with track washaways extending up to 100 metres in some locations.

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At the same time, in a statement released yesterday, ARTC said crews were inspecting the network between Crystal Brook and Broken Hill, as well as the Port Augusta to Whyalla section, to determine the full extent of the damage, as reported by Rail Express.

East West rail line closed with more rain forecast near the Broken Hill line

“The weather system is moving east and dissipating slowly,” the organisation said. “However, further heavy rain is forecast in the Junta area which may affect the Broken Hill line.

“While the damage assessments are underway, a return to service timeframe has not yet been confirmed.”

In addition, restoration is currently expected to take longer than seven days. Another further significant weather system is forecast to move across similar areas later this week, which may exacerbate existing damage and recovery efforts, as noted by ABC News.

East-West corridor links Kalgoorlie to South Australia and beyond

Separately, ARTC said it is maintaining communication with customers and is working alongside emergency services and state transport agencies as the situation develops.

In preparation for recovery works, ARTC has mobilised crews and pre-positioned materials and equipment along the corridor to support rebuilding of the track.

Still, the East-West corridor links Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Whyalla and Crystal Brook in South Australia before diverging to Parkes and Melbourne via Adelaide.

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