It is reported that plans are progressing for a massive rail project at Hexham with a State Significant Infrastructure Application lodged with the State Government.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation says its AUD 90 million project includes five extra rail lines known as relief roads, with a capacity to store a minimum of 90 wagons. There will also be new signal infrastructure and access tracks.

Mr Alec MacKenzie Corporation's Executive General Manager for the Hunter Valley says it is also about easing congestion. He said that "The main purpose of the project is to relieve the coal network of congestion by allowing us to temporarily divert coal trains off the dedicated coal lines."

He added that "It'll basically allow us to what we call choke feed the dump stations on Kooragang Island."

Boggy ground and a busy highway are among the challenges relating to the construction of the rail project.

Mr MacKenzie says several hurdles will need to be overcome. He said that "The project's picked Hexham because it by far and away is the most perfect operational setting, but unfortunately it is a very difficult area to build."

He added that "It's very low lying, it's swampy, the actual construction will be difficult in the extreme. He also said we do have to build a fairly long access road to make sure we don't put anybody at risk by trying to access from inappropriate parts of the highway.”

Source - abc.net.au

(www.coalguru.com)