Australian Rail Track Corporation
Encyclopedia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway lines on the mainland of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network (DIRN).
History
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
to Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
and Serviceton, Victoria
Serviceton, Victoria
Serviceton is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located near the Victorian-South Australian border, 437 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. The town was named after James Service, Premier of Victoria in 1880 and from 1883-86...
. The Tarcoola to Alice Springs line was transferred to the AdRail Consortium (now part of FreightLink) as part of a deal to build the railway between Alice Springs and Darwin in 2000.
The ARTC also manages, under lease, the interstate standard gauge rail network in New South Wales and Victoria, and has rights to sell access between Kalgoorlie and Kwinana
Kwinana, Western Australia
The Town of Kwinana is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of approximately 118 square kilometres in metropolitan Perth, and lies about 38 km south of Perth's central business district, via the Kwinana Freeway...
to interstate rail operators under a wholesale access agreement with the WA track owner and operator, WestNet Rail
WestNet Rail
WestNet Rail is the operator of approximately 5000 kilometres of former WAGR railway track in Western Australia, leased from the State of Western Australia following the sale of Westrail in 2000....
. It leases and operates the standard gauge line between the NSW/QLD border and Acacia Ridge in Queensland since 16 January 2010 and also "has a working relationship with Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
about the use of the standard gauge line between Acacia Ridge and Fishermans Island".
Upgrade funding in NSW
The Australian and NSW Governments agreed in 2003 that the Australian Rail Track Corporation would lease the NSW interstate and Hunter Valley networks for 60 years. As part of this agreement the ARTC agreed to the investment of :- The Australian Rail Track Corporation is investing $270 million to improve the 452 km of track and signalling that make up the Hunter ValleyHunter ValleyThe Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
rail network. This investment is part of ARTC's lease arrangements for the New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
mainline interstate and Hunter Valley rail networks. The investment will increase the capacity of the network from 85 million tonnes of coal per year to 100 million tonnes per year. - $192 million through the Australian Rail Track Corporation for a new access route for freight trains through the south-western SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
metropolitan area from Macarthur to ChulloraChullora, New South WalesChullora, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and forms a part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:The suburb of...
, the Southern Sydney Freight LineSouthern Sydney Freight LineThe Southern Sydney Freight Line is a railway line under construction in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At present, a curfew for non-passenger trains operates in the suburban area during peak hours, restricting the movement of freight to off-peak periods...
project. In the early 1990s the Australian Government funded a separate freight line from Macarthur and GlenfieldGlenfield railway station, SydneyGlenfield railway station is an important junction station serving the small Sydney suburb of Glenfield. To the north of the station is a junction between the Main South line and the East Hills Line. To the south, a junction between the Main South and South West lines will be constructed. The...
. This project will complete the separation of freight and urban passenger traffic between the Southern line (connecting to MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
) at Macarthur to Port BotanyPort Botany, New South WalesPort Botany is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Port Botany is located 12 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, is in the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, various freight terminals and the Northern LineNorthern railway line, SydneyThe Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
at North Strathfield to connect with NewcastleNewcastle, New South WalesThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. At present passenger trains have priority during the peak commuter periods. The resulting long delays are the biggest impediment to rail freight activity between Melbourne and Brisbane. - $175 million to upgrade the Main South Line from Macarthur to AlburyAlbury, New South WalesAlbury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
. The investment will improve signalling, extend the length of crossing loops and replace the Murrumbidgee River Rail BridgeMurrumbidgee River Rail Bridge (Wagga Wagga)Murrumbidgee River Rail Bridge is located over the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. The bridge was the only 4 span wrought iron lattice truss bridge constructed and is the second oldest bridge out of the twelve related wrought iron lattice truss series bridges in Australia...
at Wagga WaggaWagga Wagga, New South WalesWagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
. It will reduce the travel time for freight trains between Sydney and Melbourne by 3 hours. - $123 million for the North Coast LineNorth Coast railway line, New South WalesThe North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....
from MaitlandMaitland, New South WalesMaitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
to the QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border. Importantly, the investment will replace the signalling system between CasinoCasino, New South WalesCasino is a town in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia, with a population of 9,400 people . It lies on the banks of the Richmond River and is situated at the junction of the Bruxner Highway and the Summerland Way....
and GreenbankGreenbank, QueenslandGreenbank is a rural-residential suburb within Logan City in Queensland, Australia. Once divided between Beaudesert and Logan City the Queensland Governments Council Amalgamation now have Greenbank wholly within Logan City, since 15 March 2008....
with modern equipment. The current system was installed in the 1920s. The investment will reduce the travel time for freight trains between Brisbane and Sydney by 3.5 hours. - $54.1 million to upgrade the line between CootamundraCootamundra, New South WalesCootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...
and Werris CreekWerris Creek, New South WalesWerris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2006 census, Werris Creek had a population of 1,490.-History:The area is thought to...
, including the replacement of timber bridges and the consolidation of the way trains are controlled. - $21.8 million to upgrade the line between ParkesParkes, New South Wales- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
and Broken HillBroken Hill, New South Wales-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
, including funds to raise the height clearance of the line. As a result, it will be possible for train operators to make unrestricted use of double stackedDouble-stack rail transportDouble-stack rail transport is a form of Intermodal freight transport where intermodal containers are stacked two high on railroad cars. Introduced in North America in 1984, double stack has become increasingly common, being used for nearly 70% of United States intermodal shipments...
container trains.
The funding sources for the investment included an Australian Government equity injection into ARTC of $143 million and a funding contribution of almost $62 million by the New South Wales Government.
Queensland
The standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line from Bromelton
Bromelton, Queensland
Bromelton is a small village in southern Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Bromelton and the surrounding area had a population of 536.- Transport :The town has a crossing loop on the national standard gauge railway network...
to Acacia Ridge will be converted to dual gauge to allow for a transhipment hub to be established at the former location. This will allow for additional operators as Acacia Ridge is full.
Plans for Victoria
ARTC are currently laying concrete sleepers along the standard gauge track from Melbourne to Sydney and on to Brisbane. They are also adding or extending crossing loops along stretches of single track.In May 2008 the ARTC lease of the Victorian standard gauge lines was renegotiated. As part of the contract, the Broad Gauge line from Seymour to Albury which was both rundown and underutilised has been included in the lease to the ARTC for total conversion to Standard Gauge. This will benefit trains using the busy freight line from Melbourne to Sydney by providing a 200 km section of double track. Additionally, construction of a five kilometre Wodonga Rail Bypass is to begin including a new railway station for Wodonga away from the central business area. Costing $501.3 million, the Victorian Government is contributing $171.3 million, the Australian Government is investing $45 million and the Australian Rail Track Corporation will contribute $285 million and will assume responsibility for the ongoing operation of the new north-east standard gauge rail line under a 45-year lease agreement with Victoria. More recently the Rudd Federal Government announced that the Wodonga Bypass would be double track.
As a consequence of such a proposal:
- the broad gauge line from Benalla to Oaklands has been standardised.
- current broad gauge freight and passenger trains will need to be replaced or converted to standard gauge.
- V/LineV/LineV/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
passenger trains on the Albury-Wodonga line will go via Tottenham and not via North Melbourne and Essendon. - timetables for passenger services will need to fit in with current usage of the two standard gauge platforms available at Southern Cross Station.
- Avenel, Euroa, Violet Town, Glenrowan, Springhurst and Chiltern are getting second standard gauge platforms in addition to those converted from broad gauge.
- a standard gauge platform is being made at Broadmeadows along the old SG track, but with connection to the broad gauge metropolitan platforms.
- 1 broad gauge platform at Seymour has been converted to standard gauge, and 1 new broad gauge platform built to the west.
- a new single platform station is being built for Wodonga on the Wodonga Bypass
Such a change may also encourage further sections of Victoria's broad gauge Freight track to be standardised.
In July 2008 the track from Maroona to Portland was also leased to ARTC for 50 years. The Victorian Government contributed $15 million to return it to former standards.
An upgrade of the ARTC line between Geelong and the South Australian border was also announced in the government's Nation Building plan in late 2008.
Responsibilities
ARTC does not operate any passenger or freight trains running on its tracks, but rather provides and maintains the infrastructure to enable any qualified train operator to run trains on designated train paths. The tracks controlled by ARTC are located in four states, which were previously controlled by 5 separate state railways, in a somewhat uncoordinated fashion that has given the edge to road transport. By combining the infrastructure under one corporation it is expected that a more coordinated one stop shop will be created.ARTC does not control any of the narrow gauge track in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
or South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, nor broad gauge
Victorian broad gauge
Rail gauge in Australia displays significant variation, which has been an ongoing problem for transportation on the Australian continent, for over a hundred years.-Track gauges and route km:The most used gauges are Main gauges:...
track in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It does control the Albion to Jacana freight rail line which has been partially converted to dual gauge for use as a passing lane but is considered a main line on the broad gauge network
ARTC owned rail corridors
- AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to WolseleyWolseley, South AustraliaWolseley is a small South Australian town near the Victorian border. It is five kilometres south of the Dukes Highway and 13 kilometres east of Bordertown. It was first proclaimed a town in 1884.... - AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
- Port AugustaPort Augusta, South Australia-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
- KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, Western AustraliaKalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway... - Port AugustaPort Augusta, South Australia-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
to WhyallaWhyalla, South Australia-Demographics:According to the 2006 Census the population of the Whyalla census area was 21,122 people, making it the second largest urban area in the state outside of Adelaide... - Crystal BrookCrystal Brook, South AustraliaCrystal Brook is a town in South Australia, named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded. It is north of Adelaide and in 2006 had a population of 1,185.Crystal Brook is situated on Goyder's Line near the border of two climate systems...
to Broken HillBroken Hill, New South Wales-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the... - Tarcoola to Alice SpringsAlice Springs, Northern TerritoryAlice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
and DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
is owned/leased by AustralAsia Rail CorporationAustralAsia Rail CorporationThe AustralAsia Railway Corporation was established in 1997 by the Government of the Northern Territory to build the Darwin - Alice Springs section of the Adelaide-Darwin Railway. 50% of its board positions and voting right are assigned to the South Australian Government...
ARTC leased corridors
- MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to AlburyAlbury, New South WalesAlbury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
(North East line) - Melbourne to ServicetonServiceton, VictoriaServiceton is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located near the Victorian-South Australian border, 437 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. The town was named after James Service, Premier of Victoria in 1880 and from 1883-86...
(Western lineWestern standard gauge lineThe Western standard gauge is a railway line in western Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1995, it forms part of the Melbourne-Adelaide railway and serves as the principal interstate rail link between Victorian and the western states...
) - Maroona to PortlandPortland, VictoriaThe city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
(The Portland railway line is a branch line off the Western line) - MacarthurMacarthur, New South WalesMacarthur is a region in south-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region includes the local government areas of the City of Campbelltown, Camden Council and Wollondilly Shire. It covers an area of 3,067 square kilometres and has a population of close to 240,000 residents...
to AlburyAlbury, New South WalesAlbury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area... - UnanderraUnanderra, New South WalesUnanderra is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 10 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights and Farmborough Heights in the Mount Kembla foothills, the north by Figtree, the east by Berkeley...
to Moss ValeMoss Vale, New South WalesMoss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast via Macquarie Pass... - LithgowLithgow, New South WalesLithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
to Broken Hill - BroadmeadowBroadmeadow, New South WalesBroadmeadow is the geographic centre of Newcastle city. Its main commercial hub is located at the “Nineways”.-Origins:Broadmeadow was originally part of the Newcastle Pasturage Reserve of 648 hectares...
to Border Loop (extended in 2010 to Acacia Ridge near BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
) - CootamundraCootamundra, New South WalesCootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...
to ParkesParkes, New South Wales- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on... - MaitlandMaitland, New South WalesMaitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
to Werris CreekWerris Creek, New South WalesWerris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2006 census, Werris Creek had a population of 1,490.-History:The area is thought to...
ARTC also manages the non-DIRN rural rail lines in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
on behalf of the NSW state government.
See also
- Rail transport in AustraliaRail transport in AustraliaRail transport in Australia is a crucial aspect of the Australian transport network, and an enabler of the wider Australian economy. Rail in Australia is to a large extent state-based. The Australian rail network consists of a total of 41,461 km of track of three major gauges, of which...
- Southern Sydney Freight LineSouthern Sydney Freight LineThe Southern Sydney Freight Line is a railway line under construction in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At present, a curfew for non-passenger trains operates in the suburban area during peak hours, restricting the movement of freight to off-peak periods...
- Northern Sydney Freight CorridorNorthern Sydney Freight CorridorThe Northern Sydney Freight Corridor is a proposal to improve access between Sydney and Newcastle for freight trains. Frequent passenger services operate on the Main Northern Line between North Strathfield and Broadmeadow. These passenger services take priority, meaning freight trains can be...