Freight trains run on Sky Rail

Freight trains between Gippsland and Melbourne have made their trips on the elevated Sky Rail being installed to remove a number of level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong.

The first of them travelled through the new elevated 1.5-kilometre section of track and new Noble Park station on February 15.

Project manager director Brett Summers said freight trains and 275 V/Line and Metro services were now using the line each day.

There have been persistent, but unfounded, rumours over about the past two years that the planned elevated sections of track would not be strong enough to cope with the weight of freight trains.

Doing the rumour round alongside that was that major works being undertaken east of Pakenham were to cater for the exchange of freight from trains to heavy road transport vehicles to take goods to and through the metropolitan area.

That is not and was never planned to be the case.

The development which will be over an area about the size of sixty Melbourne Cricket Grounds will house maintenance facilities for about 60 new high capacity Metro trains to come into service mid next year as well as a stabling area for 30 trains and a high-tech driving simulator.

It will create about 100 long term maintenance jobs when operational.

According to the office of Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan the elevated sections of track being built on the Metro network have been designed to safely cater for current freight trains and future-proofed for heavier trains if needed.

Freight trains in Victoria are limited to a weight of less than 23 tonnes per axle.

The elevated structure can accommodate 25 tonnes per axle.