Leighton Abigroup Consortium has been awarded the contract to design and build the Epping to Thornleigh Third Track, the largest of the four projects which make up the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the project will involve laying six kilometres of new track between Epping and Thornleigh, erecting a new rail bridge over the M2 at Epping and upgrading Cheltenham Station.
“The additional track will separate slower moving freight trains from passenger services along the steep incline north of Epping, removing a major bottleneck on the Interstate Rail Freight Network through Sydney and a significant handbrake on national productivity,” said Mr Albanese.
“This project is also part of the unprecedented $3.2 billion Federally-funded capital works program currently being rolled out across the Sydney basin which also includes the recently completed Southern Sydney Freight Line as well as the improvements we’re currently making to the line to Port Botany.”
Contractors have already been selected to construct the Gosford Passing Loop and North Strathfield Rail Underpass, with work on both these projects already underway.
NSW Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay said once completed in 2016, the improvements now being delivered as part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program will take more than 200,000 trucks off the road each year.
“By separating freight from passenger trains, this project will not only increase capacity along the existing network, but also improve timetable reliability,” he said.
“Importantly, we remain committed to having a good relationship with the local community and will undertake activities throughout the delivery of the project to keep the community informed.”
The $1.1 billion Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program is being jointly funded by the Federal ($840 million) and NSW ($213.8 million) governments.
 
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