Stockinbingal to Parkes Inland Rail early works progress with sleeper delivery

A VITAL part of the Stockinbingal to Parkes section of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Inland Rail project has been delivered, with nearly 4000 railway sleepers weighing a total of over 1000 tonnes arriving in Daroobalgie for a new crossing loop.

The concrete sleepers were trucked in from Bomen, New South Wales and took five days to unload using plant machinery. The sleepers, made of high-density fibre-reinforced concrete and weighing 285kg each, will lay over 2.2 km of track, along with over 277 tonnes of rail delivered last month.

The Stockinbingal to Parkes project area spans from just north of the rail junction in Stockinbingal to south of Goobang Junction in Parkes, New South Wales.

Major construction on the Stockinbingal to Parkes section is expected to begin in late 2023 and involves enhancements or modifications to specific sites along the existing rail corridor to accommodate double-stacked freight trains.

Melvyn Maylin, Inland Rail Director Programme Delivery, Albury to Parkes, said: "The crossing loop at Daroobalgie features 2.2km of new track built to the eastern side of the existing track and will include the replacement and extension of culverts to mitigate flooding on neighbouring land. The crossing loop will allow trains in opposite directions to safely pass each other.

"The Stockinbingal to Parkes project is now in the procurement and detailed design stages. During this time, we are seeking to appoint a construction contractor to finalise detailed design and construct the project.

"Early works in and around Forbes will be ongoing, including the relocation of gas and water infrastructure. ‘Inland Rail is an important project that will help Australia move more freight, enhancing the national freight rail network and making our roads safer for all’.