PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Mt Isa rail line, in Queensland, has been given a significant boost, with the state government on Friday announcing a A$25-million investment to improve the reliability of the rail line.
Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the investment would support 75 regional jobs and deliver a more stable and reliable track structure for freight services by replacing steel sleepers with concrete.
“The Townsville-Mt Isa rail line is a critical piece of infrastructure which links the North West Queensland minerals province from Mt Isa to the Port of Townsville,” Hinchliffe said.
This programme was part of the state government's A$10.1-billion capital works programme to support 27 500 jobs across the state in 2015/16.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt said he was happy to sign off on the funding for this critical local infrastructure upgrade.
“The government will stand beside Townsville to ensure this economic hub stays on track during these uncertain times, which is why I was more than willing to expedite approval for this project,” Pitt said.
“Just as we have fast-tracked A$210-million of projects to drive 480 full-time equivalent jobs in Townsville through the state government's Accelerated Works Programme.”
A further 41 km of sleeper replacement works was planned to start in May at a number of high priority locations between Richmond and Julia Creek and be completed by 2017.