New life for freight railway line in Australia
posted on 12th Feb 2026 08:20
Vossloh is supplying concrete sleepers for an economically important railway line in Australia. The approximately 170 km line connects Maroona with the port of Portland and is of great importance for the export of grain and other goods from the state of Victoria.
Today, restrictions apply to the weight and speed of trains on the line. The maximum axle load is 19 tons instead of the usual 23 tons, and the maximum speed is 40 km/h instead of 80 km/h. The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) now wants to upgrade the line and replace the degraded wooden sleepers with more durable concrete ones. Vossloh has been awarded the contract to manufacture and supply the 250,000 concrete sleepers. Production will start in February and is scheduled for completion by August 2027.
“The Maroona to Portland rail upgrade will vastly improve the safety and reliability of the line in western Victoria and enable significant efficiency and productivity benefits for train operators and freight forwarders,” said Heather Parry, Director of Infrastructure Projects at ARTC. “When complete, the line will be able to handle heavier and faster trains, which will increase the competitiveness of rail freight and reduce the region’s reliance on road freight.”
Vossloh will supply approximately 220,000 sleepers from its plant in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales and a further 30,000 produced at its Geelong facility in Victoria. The modernization of the line is being funded by the Australian government with 150 million Australian dollars, equivalent to around 90 million EUR
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