Tuesday, 12 April 2022 02:46
GETTING FREIGHT BACK OVER BLUE MOUNTAINS
A 16-metre-deep sink hole is being filled in as part of the NSW Government’s works to repair and reopen the critical western rail freight line.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway visited Leura and received an update from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) on repair works.
“The Blue Mountains rail line is a critical freight corridor linking east with west so the TfNSW team has been working 24/7 to get the line reopened,” Mr Farraway said.
“The extent of weather damage across hundreds of metres of track, culminating in the 16-metre sink hole, is staggering. Ballast and the track base underneath was washed away, and a culvert was damaged close to the Great Western Highway.
“TfNSW and Sydney Trains have had to effectively rebuild the entire section of track, while filling in the sink hole and ensuring the area is stable for trains to run on.
“The team has done a great job and removed more than 500 tonnes of debris and we expect to be able to open the line to freight this Saturday, 26 March then to limited diesel-powered regional passenger trains such as the XPT, Bathurst Bullet, Dubbo and Broken Hill services on Monday, 28 March.
“As the electrical services are still out, the intercity fleet are expected to be back online on Friday, 8 April.”
Mr Farraway said extra resources had been deployed to fix the sink hole and surrounding areas.
“Almost 200 staff are working to restore the line using 53 items of heavy machinery, including cranes, concrete pumps, tip trucks, vacuum trucks and excavators,” Mr Farraway said.
The Blue Mountains Line is currently closed between Emu Plains and Lithgow.
Transport for NSW is working on a staged approach to re-opening the track to allow limited intercity passenger shuttle services between Penrith and Springwood this week, with buses continuing to replace trains between Springwood and Lithgow.
Customers are reminded to please allow extra travel time and plan ahead at www.transportnsw.info
and using live apps.
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Tuesday, 12 April 2022 02:43
CAR REGISTRATIONS GO DIGITAL
FORGETTING or losing vehicle registration paperwork is now a thing of the past, with the NSW Government launching a fully digitised, paperless rego service.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the new Digital Vehicle Registration service is a one-stop shop for millions of drivers, offering digital renewal notifications and a Certificate of Registration all in one place.
“Around 16 per cent of registrations are not renewed on time due to paperwork being damaged, misplaced or simply stuck on the fridge and forgotten about,” Mr Dominello said.
“Through the new service, motorists can opt-in to get electronic reminder notices and access their digital Certificate of Registration through their MyServiceNSW Account.”
To opt-in to Digital Vehicle Registration, visit www.service.nsw.gov.au
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Tuesday, 12 April 2022 02:39
AUSTRALIA POST STAMP OF APPROVAL
Work starts on $55M warehouse at Kemps Creek
WORK has started on Australia Post’s new warehouse, creating 1,700 new construction jobs and injecting more than $55M into the Western Sydney economy.
WORK has started on Australia Post’s new warehouse, creating 1,700 new construction jobs and injecting more than $55M into the Western Sydney economy.
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