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The shutdown, which began yesterday, will continue through Saturday to allow for the commissioning of new track, capacity upgrade works and routine maintenance.
New tracks include a Chilcotts Creek loop, a third track from Maitland to Minimbah and an additional link between Singleton and Camberwell.
“We have in excess of 120 individual jobs being completed across the 800 kilometre Hunter Valley rail network over the four days,” Australian Rail Track Corporation Hunter Valley executive general manger Alec MacKenzie said.
“These planned shutdowns not only allow ARTC to work network-wide but gives the entire coal chain, from pit to port, a clear window to schedule important maintenance.”
A spokesperson for Newcastle Port Corporation confirmed to ILN that the disruption would not substantially disturb coal traffic at the export end of the Hunter Valley coal chain although the number of ships waiting to berth is expected to increase noticeably.
The Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator forecast that the 27 ships waiting to berth at two Port Waratah Coal Services terminals would grow to 42 ships in two weeks’ time.
The ship congestion, however, is noted as a typical and routine back-up during such maintenance operations.
