Session on rail works

Plans to advance major upgrades to the Gippsland rail network will be outlined at a public information session at Bunyip on Thursday afternoon.

Among improvements under the $500 million Gippsland Rail Revival project are second platforms and additional amenities at Longwarry and Bunyip stations and duplication of the single line between the two towns.

The session to be conducted by the Rail Project Victoria project team members at the Bunyip hall in Main St will be open to the public between 4pm and 7pm.

RFPV says the benefits of the track duplication and second platforms included the ability to provide extra off-peak services and more opportunities for trains to pass each other.

The overall project for Gippsland was announced by the State government several years ago and a number of level crossing upgrades have already been completed between Sale and Bairnsdale and more will be done from Pakenham to Traralgon.

Second platforms are also ear-marked for the Traralgon and Morwell stations.

There’ll also be signalling and drainage upgrades along the Gippsland line.

For more than 12 months RPJ has been working on developing a program for the works that are expected to take several years to complete.

The biggest single construction will be a new bridge over the Avon River at Stratford that will remove speed restrictions.

Subject to planning and environment approvals construction willbegin later this year.

The old bridge that was listed in the Victorian Heritage Register last December will be retained because of its association with the development of the State’s rail network and a notable example of a railway bridge.