A $13 million contract has been awarded to Laing O’Rourke by the New South Wales Government for the construction of a rail siding at Wumbulgal in the Riverina.
The project will deliver a 1,500-metre, multi-user rail siding between Griffith and Leeton, and work is set to begin later this month.
The siding will allow trains up to 1.5 kilometres long to load, park or pass others without disrupting the main line.
It is intended to boost capacity and improve efficiency on the track section between Coolamon and Griffith.
Designed to be accessible to any rail operator, it will address a major rail bottleneck where grain trains can currently take up to eight hours to load, blocking the main line and preventing other trains from passing.
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the siding is a “major step forward” for reliability for freight services across the region.
The upgrade also sets the groundwork for future connection into the proposed Western Riverina Connect (WR Connect) intermodal freight terminal, a project being developed by Griffith and Leeton councils.
This $13 million investment builds on the NSW Government’s recent $60 million, 25-tonne axle-load upgrade across 174 kilometres of track between Junee and Griffith, and an $8 million 1,500-metre siding extension at Coolamon.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton said she was happy to see the government investing in an open access rail and road freight facility.
“The siding and internodal will not only improve safety, but productivity and efficiencies in partnership with the world’s largest freight company.
“The government and MEDLOG are committing to affordable, open access to all train truck companies which is a significant improvement for business and industry in the Riverina.
“The Wumbulgal rail siding addresses a key freight bottleneck, cutting grain loading times and stimulating investment in faster loading infrastructure. It’s a major win for Riverina producers and the wider regional economy.”
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