A major upgrade of the Gippsland Line is a step closer with a contractor appointed to deliver rail upgrades between Pakenham and Traralgon as part of the Gippsland Line Upgrade.
VicConnect, a consortium comprising Arup, Decmil and CIMIC Group company UGL, has been appointed to deliver the Gippsland Line Upgrade’s major package of works.
The works include duplicating track, extending the Morwell crossing loop, upgrading level crossings and signalling, adding second platforms at three stations along the line and reactivating the second platform at Traralgon.
The project will enable Traralgon trains to travel every 40 minutes between the peaks and more reliable services on the Gippsland Line, while boosting the local economy and creating more than 500 jobs.
Early works are underway with the contractor undertaking signalling and track inspections while trains weren’t running in February due to level crossing removal works and V/Line maintenance.
Site investigations and surveying will continue in the coming weeks at Bunyip, Longwarry, Morwell and Traralgon to support major construction ramping up in the coming months.
The second platform at Morwell Station has been redesigned after consultation with Latrobe City Council and the local community to improve connectivity with the bus interchange and reduce impacts to car parking.
The contractor will host industry briefings in the region in the coming months for local contractors and suppliers looking to participate in the project and will set up a project office in Morwell in the latter half of 2021.
The project also includes upgrades to drainage structures at Morwell River, upgrades to signalling and a Victorian-first trial of solar-powered wireless level crossing detection technology at Farrells Lane in Stratford.
The Gippsland Line Upgrade is part of the $4 billion Regional Rail Revival program, which is upgrading every regional passenger rail line in Victoria and creating 3,000 jobs and local supplier opportunities.