Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government has opened for business the A$400m North Strathfield Rail Underpass, as part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project.
The A$400m investment in the New South Wales rail network will provide key benefits to freight movers.
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The Main North Line is believed as a significant bottleneck to freight movements, with the delays costing Australian businesses time and money.
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said: "This section of rail forms a key transport link between Brisbane and Melbourne and with approximately 15% of interstate freight being moved by rail, investing in this project makes good economic sense.
"This investment will allow goods to get to domestic and international markets in a faster and more reliable manner, improving Australia’s competitiveness in the process."
The delivery of the underpass will help unlock the economic potential of the area as well as provide access to a reliable public transport system for many residents.
The new corridor is expected to stimulate new business activities by improving access to a major transport route.
NSW minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance said the North Strathfield Rail Underpass project would play an important role in the growth of Sydney.
Constance said: "The New South Wales rail network has a number of significant capacity challenges in coming years, and this project forms part of our investment in ensuring Sydney and Central Coast residents have a fast and reliable rail service.
"Within the next 15 years, more than 200,000 yearly heavy vehicle road trips will be removed from local roads.
"It will also have slashed greenhouse gas emissions and reduced the use of diesel fuel by almost 40 million litres each year."
The project, which will include a 150m-long tunnel and 3.2km of new track, will reduce congestion by grade separating the location where freight trains cross the path of passenger trains on the Main North Line at Concord West.
The underpass was jointly funded by the federal and NSW governments, with A$316m and A$84m, respectively.
