Inland Rail has said its most recent “super possession” was a success after crews worked continuously from Saturday, May 2, through Tuesday, May 5. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Inland Rail super possession clears bridge works
Photo: Inland Rail. Inland Rail super possession clears bridge works

As Rail Express reported, the works covered bridge demolition, track lowering, realignment and track rebuilding across several sites in Victoria.

During what the organisation described as its largest track possession, workers demolished the former Broadford-Wandong Road bridge at Wandong in Victoria. They also cleared 650 tonnes of rubble from the site.

Don’t miss…USDOT Triggers Immediate Push to Let Rail Operators Ban Outside Drones

At Short Street in Broadford, an 815-metre section of rail used by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and V/Line was removed and lowered.

Track works in Broadford and Tallarook

The ARTC track beneath the new bridge was then rebuilt. The work also involved 80 trucks moving more than 85,000 tonnes of material and ballast between Inland Rail’s High Street site office and the rail corridor.

At Tallarook, crews removed, lowered and realigned a three-kilometre stretch of ARTC and V/Line track beneath the Hume Freeway.

At that location, 64,000 tonnes of material were moved. The ARTC track was rebuilt, and structural upgrade works were undertaken around the Hume Freeway bridge piers and abutments.

Further works before double-stacked freight trains

In Seymour, another 1.8-kilometre length of track was removed, lowered and realigned, with the ARTC track also rebuilt.

Inland Rail is using an extended V/Line track possession on the Shepparton line to complete the rebuild of the V/Line tracks that were removed.

Double-stacked freight trains are expected to be able to operate on the Beveridge to Albury section of the route later this year. This will follow the demolition and replacement of the Marchbanks Road bridge in Broadford with a higher bridge, as well as further track lowering at Tallarook.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Skanska Lands $1.06 Billion Contract to Rebuild and Expand the North Station Draw Bridge