Post Date: 1 November 2016

John Holland Rail Country Rail Network (JHR CRN) has contracted Mitchel Hanlon Consulting for the survey and track design for the survey and track design of 85 curves on the Main West line between Wallerawang and Orange and 60 curves between Orange to Cookamidgera on the Orange to Broken Hill line. The Main West project also involves a section near Charbon on the Wallerawang to Gwabegar line.

All three lines are located within the NSW Country Rail Network managed by John Holland Rail.

The Main West and Broken Hill lines service the western parts of NSW and beyond to South Australia and Western Australia whilst the Wallerawang to Gwabegar line services the state's northwest.

The tender brief requires the track design be applied to allow trains to operate at an ideal track speed of 80 km/hr whilst minimising track lateral shifts or “pull” to avoid earthworks. The work to be completed includes installation of permanent survey control marks to Map Grid of Australia coordinates, survey of existing rail track, track re-design and placement of track construction marks for tamping crews to "pull" the track to the design geometry.

Survey work commenced in November 2016 with final project document delivery in June 2017.