General News
4 June, 2025
Work to start soon on rail upgrade
PLANNING has commenced on a massive upgrade of the railway line running from Maroona to Portland.
The Albanese Government last year committed $150 million to upgrade the line to take more freight and agricultural produce to the Port of Portland.
An Australian Rail Tract Corporation spokesperson confirmed preliminary work would commence this month ahead of the line upgrade.
“ARTC is developing the detailed scope of works required to upgrade the carrying capacity of the Maroona to Portland section of the network.
“As part of this work, we have teams out on the ground over the next month surveying the line for condition and scoping.
“This includes assessing the existing infrastructure which would need to be managed as part of the upgrade,” the spokesperson said.
The Maroona-Portland line has been deteriorating over recent years.
The 173 kilometre line can currently only run a 19 tonne axle load meaning trains cannot travel faster than 40 kilometres per hour.
The upgrade will increase the line to a 23-tonne axle allowing trains to move at 80 kilometres an hour.
When funding was announced last year, Minister for Transport and Regional Development Catherine King said the upgrade will vastly improve rail access to Portland.
“The Portland to Maroona line, replacing those sleepers, which are in some areas just absolute dust, will bring the Port of Portland into the national freight network in a way that it has not been before and it's a huge initiative, I know that's been called for, for a long time out west,” Ms King said.
“Given that Portland is such a big deep-water port, it's a really important part of infrastructure and that providing that rail connectivity, it's been called for, for a long time. I think the previous government put money into a business case. It's now ready for investment and we're delivering on that,” she said.