Trains Slowly Resume On The Hunter Valley Line

 BY IAN CROUCH

 Repair crews have worked around the clock to restore limited rail services on the Hunter Valley line.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation says getting coal trains up running again has been the priority to ensure delivery to power stations, with the first trains resuming on Thursday night and more expected on Friday.

As part of the graduated return, grain and goods trains are expected to return over the weekend while the corporation continues monitoring track conditions.

They'll keep the community informed as work continues to restore passenger services as soon as possible. 

 

Muswellbrook Police Arrest Woman Over ARTC Break-In

BY IAN CROUCH

A 25-year-old woman is due to face court this morning accused of breaking into a Muswellbrook work site.

Security alerted police to a break-in at the ARTC site on Willlam Street at about midnight.

Officers were quickly on scene and noticed a man and woman running off across the rail line through a creek.

They found a 25-year-old woman hiding in bushes nearby - her male accomplice managed to get away - he was carrying a bag which police suspect contained items from the work site.

The woman's been charged with break, enter and steal and has been refused bail.

Vital Maintenance Shuts Hunter Valley Rail Line

BY IAN CROUCH

The Hunter Valley Rail line is being shut down from today for major maintenance work.

Bridge repairs, re-railing, track conditioning and signal maintenance will be carried out over a 62 hour period, wrapping up at 8.30pm on Thursday.

More than 120 projects valued at 21-million dollars will be carried out involving 500 kilometres of track from Kooragang through to Narrabri and Muswellbrook to Ulan.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation says the work is the culmination of months of planning and crews only have a limited window of opportunity to get everything done.