The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is getting closer to completing a culvert upgrade project in remote South Australia, a crucial element of the East-West rail corridor between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie.
The $7 million early works package includes upgrades at 18 sites along the critical East-West rail corridor. The project involves the installation of new reinforced concrete box culvert structures which aim to mitigate the impacts and potential disruptions caused by culvert and track washaways during a flood event, ensuring the continued reliability of rail services in the face of increasing climate variability.
The upgraded culverts will address these challenges head-on, improving the ARTC’s ability to manage stormwater and reducing the risk of flooding and erosion along key sections of the rail line.
Importantly, the upgrade will also reduce the risk of network disruption and support the uninterrupted transportation of goods and resources crucial to the region’s economy.
The upgrades of these culverts are in addition to the more than $1 billion being invested by the Federal Government and ARTC into rail lines through the Network Investment Program to improve resiliency and ensure freight can get to where it needs to go.
ARTC Director Infrastructure Projects, Heather Parry, said, “ARTC is working to improve the resilience, reliability and operational performance of our network.
“As extreme weather events become more common, it is vital that we invest in strengthening infrastructure to improve the resilience and reliability of essential national rail infrastructure and ensure network reliability for our customers.”
