Ballarat Line Upgrade
Our Work on the Ballarat Line Upgrade
In line with the other work Eastern Plant Hire is currently doing for Victoria’s Big Build infrastructure boom we have undertaken work on the Ballarat Line Upgrade. The upgrade project, estimated at $550 million, is currently being delivered by a consortium made up of Lendlease, Coleman Rail and SMEC. The Ballarat Line Upgrade is part of the bigger Regional Rail Revival, which is upgrading every regional passenger train line in Victoria. The main goal being to provide more services during peak and off peak times and provide sustainable train delay solutions.
The Ballarat Line Upgrade includes 18km of duplicated tracks, a new station at Toolern, and station rebuilds and upgrades at the Rockbank, Bacchas Marsh, Ballan and Wendouree stations. The upgrades include larger car parks, accessibility improvements and platform extensions. There will also be two new passing loops to mitigate train service delays and general signaling and track improvements for the whole line. The improvements mean that passengers on delayed services from Melbourne will no longer have to be transferred onto replacement coaches at Ballarat.
Eastern Plant Hire have contributed their trucks and earthmoving equipment to the Ballarat Line Upgrade. With multiple construction sites running on the line the ability to provide the needed equipment and materials cartage is one of the main reasons why we are a preferred subcontractor. EPH has amassed years of experience on major construction and infrastructure projects, particularly in Victoria, and have built a reputation for providing above average service that goes beyond the necessary requirements.
The update of the Ballarat Rail Line will support over 3 million passengers that use the line every year. With the upgrade works expected to finish in late 2019. They are also preparing the line for future electrification from Melbourne to Melton. The investment in regional rail lines now is preparing the state for the continued population growth in those regional areas, ensuring that when they need to commute to Melbourne there is reliable train services running.