Track upgrades are a key part of future-proofing the Murray Basin rail freight network. Along the Ararat- Maryborough Line, track upgrades including re-railing were completed in 2022 to increase load capacity. Between Ouyen and Murrayville, upgrades including re-sleepering, adding ballast and adjusting track have removed speed restrictions as well as at Sea Lake and Manangatang.
Ararat- Maryborough Line upgrade
Track upgrades including re-railing were completed in 2022 to increase load capacity along the Ararat-Maryborough Line.
New 47-kilogram rail was installed along the 88-kilometre track between Ararat and Maryborough. This re-railing enables all wagons to operate at a 21-tonne loading capacity.
Re-railing works were completed in December 2022.
Further upgrades including a new passing loop at Elmhurst and improvements to line-of-sight on the line were completed in mid-2024. The new loop enables two freight trains to pass each other, lifting capacity in this critical section of the network and giving freight operators more flexibility.
Celebrating upgrades between Ararat and Maryborough
To highlight the project’s benefits to local communities and producers, acclaimed St Arnaud artist Kyle Torney created artworks to adorn a freight train hauling north west Victoria’s locally grown produce.
Torney’s paintings of fruits, nuts and grains – moved via the Murray Basin Freight Rail network – were transferred on to decals and affixed to a locomotive operated by Pacific National. The works were unveiled during a celebratory event at the historic Maryborough Station.
Ouyen-Murrayville Line upgrade
Replacing sleepers, repairing rail joints and adding ballast along the 109-kilometre track mean that:
- trains can now travel at up to 40km/h along most of the line (up from 25km/h)
- trains can now continue operating on the line when the temperature reaches 33 degrees (a temperature reached on 39 days in Ouyen in 2021).
Track upgrades on the Ouyen-Murrayville Line were completed in June 2022.
