Ballast Replacement, Ardglen NSW

Utilising Material Handling Wagons To Manage Spoil Within Cuttings

Rm80 And Material Wagons In Action At Ardglen

Project Description

Swietelsky Rail Australia (SRA) has been the exclusive provider of mechanised ballast cleaning services for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)'s Heavy Haul Hunter Valley network since 2014.

SRA's fleet of ballast cleaners offers versatility, capable of performing traditional ballast cleaning or executing full-section ballast replacement in severely fouled conditions.

The project site at Ardglen, NSW, posed unique challenges, including limited site access, ineffective drainage system and extreme ballast fouling.

SRA's comprehensive "fence-to-fence" improvement approach addressed these challenges, delivering significant rail corridor enhancements. These included drainage works, ballast replacement, level crossing and access upgrades, undercutting, and vegetation control across the 20km project site.

The project was successfully completed with an on-time handback and an incident-free closedown.

Project Stats:

Network | Hunter Valley, Heavy Haul
Location | Ardglen NSW
Works Program | Within 72hour Major Possession
Ballast Replacement Complete | 2km
Drainage Improvements | 8.6km
Additional Ballast Undercutting | 70m
Replacement of damaged sleepers | 70 units
Level crossing upgraded with new asphalt approaches and drainage system | 1 unit
Scope | Multidisciplinary applying a "fence to fence" betterment approach including of spoil management, material deliveries, site coordination, drainage works, vegetation control, level crossing management and upgrades.
Conformance | Completed sections handed back at line speed
Project Completion | October 2024

Client

Australian Rail Track Corporation