![ON TRACK: State member for Bathurst Paul Toole [centre] with John Holland Rail's Wayne D'Souza and Tim Halloran.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/xry9xtRQu9u36zRV2j5976/250e68b4-768a-4a20-a5b0-2dfc3f04978c.JPG/r0_0_6016_3382_w576_h298_fmax.webp "ON TRACK: State member for Bathurst Paul Toole [centre] with John Holland Rail's Wayne D'Souza and Tim Halloran.")
Rail services in the Central West will now have access to a more efficient track corridor courtesy of the completion of two new passing loops for trains.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The rail loops have been installed at Georges Plains and Rydal as part of the first stage of the state government's Main Western Rail Line Capacity Enhancement program.
State member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the new loops will ease congestion on the line and make things easier for passenger and freight services running to tight schedules.
"The line will now be able to support more freight services which will help keep the costs down for regional producers and freight companies," Mr Toole said.
"The reliability of local passenger services will also be improved with these new loops providing greater capacity for the line."
Work on the two new rail loops commenced in June last year after the state government committed $21.5 million towards the project.
Prior to the instalment of the rail loops, passenger trains often had to face lengthy waiting times to allow freight trains to pass through.
Affected services included the Bathurst Bullet, the Central West XPT, the Indian Express and the Broken Hill Xplorer.
"The NSW government is continuing to look at ways to make improvements along the rest of the Main Western rail corridor," Mr Toole said.
Accommodating for up to 9 million tonnes of freight each year, the rail corridor transports a range of mineral, agricultural and interstate goods to coastal ports in order to supply domestic and international markets.
The project saw around 1.8 kilometres of new track laid and new signalling infrastructure installed at each location to accommodate the crossing of trains up to 1.5 kilometres in length.
Further works included the installation of two new turnouts at each location, earthworks to embankments and cuttings and culvert installations to improve drainage.
"These new rail loops are designed to help improve the reliability of all services on the Main Western line," Mr Toole said.
The new loops are situated 3 kilometres south of Rydal Railway Station and to the immediate west of Georges Plains Railway Station.
