Freight capacity on the Yelta Line has received a boost with the extension of a passing loop at Emu as part of the Murray Basin Rail Project.
Freight operators will benefit from the extra 500 metres of track to extend the loop, making it long enough to allow two opposing 1,200-metre freight trains to pass each other.
Signal activation works and safety testing, including the running of a train on the loop, were carried out recently to bring the loop into service.
Long trains can now travel in either direction on the Yelta Line at the same time by using the loop located between Dunolly and St Arnaud.
An average 800-metre intermodal freight train carries produce worth $2.25 million – equivalent to 55 semi-trailer truckloads.
This latest boost to the network follows the opening of a new passing loop at Elmhurst between Ararat and Maryborough.
By enabling two opposing freight trains – for example, intermodal and bulk - to pass each other, the Elmhurst loop also lifts network capacity and gives freight operators more flexibility.
A 50-wagon bulk freight train can be laden with up to 3,000 tonnes of grain – the equivalent of 70 B-double truckloads.
Work continues on signalling upgrades and a new refuelling facility at Ouyen.
Learn more about the Murray Basin Rail Project.