Train travellers on the North Coast will be on buses this weekend, as around 250 rail workers take over the line for a major maintenance blitz.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will replace 11.5 kilometres of rail across the North Coast and Hunter Valley lines over the weekend of Saturday, 31 October, to Monday, 2 November.
The North Coast line, between Telarah in NSW and Acacia Ridge in Queensland, will be closed from 5am Saturday, 31 October, until 1am Monday, 2 November.
The Hunter Valley line between Newcastle and Maitland will be closed from 3am Saturday until 1am Monday.
Work is planned at 57 sites. On the North Coast, rail will be replaced at Nana Glen, Glenreagh, Kungala, and Braunstone, turnouts will be replaced at Nambucca Heads and Grafton, and ballast will be renewed near Taree.
Other work includes track and bridge repairs, rail grinding, and signal maintenance.
The works are part of ARTC’s annual maintenance program and its almost $2.8 billion Network Investment Program.
NSW TrainLink services will be replaced by coaches while the line is closed.
Passengers should check transportnsw.info or call 13 22 32 before they travel. Road closures linked to the work are listed on livetraffic.com.
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