Victoria update: 600 workers achieve major milestones during track possession
Inland Rail has completed all scheduled works during the 60-hour track possession on the Beveridge to Albury section of the project, including the demolition of the Hamilton Street bridge at Broadford.
September 18, 2025
Together with construction partner John Holland, work was carried out at Wandong, Broadford, Hume Freeway – Tallarook, and Benalla. (See a gallery of the work, below.)
The demolition of the Hamilton Street bridge, at Broadford, is an important milestone for the project, making way for double-stacked trains to run from Melbourne to Brisbane. The track was also lowered under the bridge to increase the clearance.
Retaining wall posts were installed at Short Street, Broadford to support the future track lower and redundant poles along with overhead wires were removed at Wandong.
At Benalla railway station construction began on the northern section of the new pedestrian underpass, including the installation of the pre-cast concrete base slabs and culvert frame units. Round-the-clock works will continue at Benalla until the 22nd September.
The Beveridge to Albury Tranche 2 possession involved:
- 600 engineers, tradespeople, rail specialists and contractors
- 11,350t of spoil excavated
- 1170m of drainage installed alongside track
Hamilton St, Broadford:
- 460t of bridge demolished
- 275m of track lowered.
Short St, Broadford:
- 55 piles and posts installed
- 225t of concrete poured.
Benalla:
- 33 sheet piles and 17 soil anchors installed
- 4 pre-cast base slabs and 5 pre-cast culvert frame units for new underpass installed.
All scheduled work was completed, and the ARTC track re-opened for rail services on Monday evening.
Scott Anderson, Inland Rail Acting Delivery Director Beveridge to Albury said:
“The Beveridge to Albury possession was an outstanding success.
“The team did a great job removing the bridge and lowering the tracks at Hamilton Street, Broadford.
“We only get a few track possessions a year, so they are critically important for the completion of the project.
“A lot of planning takes place, so we can complete a large volume of work in a short period and keep the disruption of the rail line to a minimum.
“We apologise for the disruptions and thank local communities for their patience and understanding as we carry out the work.”
Steve Butcher, Managing Director John Holland Rail & Transport said:
“It’s great to see the progress that is being made on this important project for the region.
“During the possession, the team delivered complex works, including the demolition of the bridge and lowering of the track in Broadford, and track works alongside pre-cast installations for the new underpass in Benalla.
“All of this was done within a short possession timeframe and small work footprint.
““The strong collaboration between our civil and rail teams, combined with the detailed planning for the possession were critical to the success. This allowed us to hand back the line on time to keep disruptions to a minimum.”
Timelapse of the Hamilton Street bridge removal in Broadford.
Timelapse of the track lowering under Hamilton Street bridge in Broadford.
