COMMUTERS and other users of Dungog railway station may notice maintenance or improvement work being carried out between mid-November and mid-December.
NOTA has previously reported on the much-delayed plans by the NSW Government to replace the existing XPT trains which service Dungog, although no date has been announced for the introduction of the replacement fleet, which was scheduled to begin operations in January 2023.
However, some of the new trains have arrived in NSW and are now being prepared for use on NSW tracks.
Intensive testing is underway across electrified and non-electrified networks, according to Transport for NSW’s (TFNSW) website.
“The trains can travel using both overhead electric and diesel power – an Australian first for passenger rail,” it stated
“The first regional rail train will enter passenger service upon the completion of testing, modifications and safety accreditation.”
The start date for the new trains may be edging closer as station modifications to accommodate them at North Coast stations have been announced.
From November to December, work will take place at the Dungog station and in the rail corridor. This will include:
- platform resurfacing
- installing new signs, posts, and markers
- relocating or removing any redundant infrastructure
- minor vegetation trimming and removal
- delivery and removal of materials and equipment
- site investigations, including digging to check ground conditions, surveying, and laser scanning.
The department will advise residents of nearby properties before the work begins.
By John WATTS
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
