mmg.com.au

Federal Member for Indi Sophie Mirabella is perplexed by comments Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARC) chief executive John Fullerton has made regarding the replacement of track foundations between Wodonga and Melbourne.

Mr Fullerton said the $134 million project had been given priority to fix ongoing issues of mudholes on the line, but said the track would remain open and timetables along the line would not be affected.

He said the accelerated program was not a knee-jerk reaction to a federal inquiry into the Melbourne-Sydney line and defended the method used to replace wooden sleepers with concrete sleepers in a $300 million project criticised by some for causing the sodden dips in the line.

‘‘We are mindful that the condition of the track is causing speed restrictions, we know we are going to have to close sections of the track to do the work, but that will be done in maintenance windows,’’ Mr Fullerton said.

‘‘We expect to do most of the work in the next 18 months of what is a five-year program, because we want to get rid of the speed restrictions.’’

Mudholes have led to driver injuries and passenger safety concerns; blamed for decoupling an engine from carriages on an XPT service carrying 142 people last year, as well as V/Line and goods trains.

But Mr Fullerton says the method used in the re-sleepering project was not a factor in creating the mudholes.

‘‘What is clear is that the concrete sleepers are heavier, are larger,’’ he said.

‘‘Combined with poor ballast conditions and near-record rainfall it all contributed to the issue.

‘‘The federal inquiry was the result of ongoing concerns with the ride quality and a number of incidents, but we were already well down the track on planning this work when that was announced.’’

Federal Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella said the comments by Mr Fullerton were ‘‘quite extraordinary’’, for two reasons.

‘‘Firstly, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the side-insertion method used by the ARTC did in fact lead to some of the problems we are now experiencing,’’ Mrs Mirabella said.

‘‘The side insertion method was a shortcut and the ARTC has already admitted that this method was used to save time.

‘‘We also know that the ARTC was advised to use a specially renovated machine to insert the concrete sleepers on clean foundations, rather than using the side-insertion method.

‘‘Secondly, it would appear inappropriate for the head of a government-owned enterprise to be making assertions about what has or hasn’t caused problems with the track in the middle of an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation,’’ Mrs Mirabella said.

‘‘It’s important that the ATSB can complete their investigation independently, without interference and without being unfairly influenced.

‘‘Then we can get on with the business of fixing this track once and for all.

‘‘Local commuters have had enough of this whole sorry saga; they just want a proper train service back again.’’