Early works on the Gippsland Line Upgrade have commenced at Traralgon Station in eastern Victoria.
Experts have used laser scanners to assess ground and environment conditions at Traralgon Station
The results will inform the design and construction of a second platform at the station – part of the $530 million transformation of the line jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.
The project will also deliver second platforms at Morwell, Bunyip and Longwarry stations, as well as track duplication, level crossing upgrades and better signalling to boost services and reliability for passengers along the line.
The surveying builds on a six-week program of geotechnical investigations on the rail line between Bunyip and Longwarry completed in late June, which gathered essential information about the condition of the line that will be used by Rail Projects Victoria to determine exactly how to build the new infrastructure the project will deliver.
“We’re boosting services, delivering new carriages and improving mobile coverage to make catching the train quicker, easier and more comfortable in eastern Victoria,” Ms Allan said.
The Gippsland Line Upgrade is part of a raft of investments for the rail corridor, with the Victorian State Government’s $9 million Gippsland Rail Corridor Upgrade program expected to deliver significant benefits.
More than 90 new car parks have been added at Traralgon Station, and works are underway to improve the coach and bus interchange and build a new entrance to the platform. Upgrades are also being delivered at Moe, Morwell and Trafalgar stations as part of this investment.
More than 80 per cent of V/Line’s VLocity fleet are now fitted with mobile signal boosters and new mobile towers are up and running at Pakenham and Traralgon. Towers at Longwarry, Garfield, Trafalgar, West Warragul and East Warragul will be installed by the end of the year.
VLocity trains will begin running on the Gippsland line from August and level crossings are currently being upgraded on the line as part of the Gippsland Line Upgrade. This is expected to enable the VLocity trains to run on four of the six daily services Monday to Saturday, and two of the four daily services on Sundays.
The Gippsland Line Upgrade will also replace the Avon River rail bridge in Stratford and is expected to be complete by late-2022.
The project is part of the $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival funded by the Australian and Victorian governments, which will deliver improvements to regional rail lines across the state and create more than 1000 jobs.
