Southern Sydney Freight Line

Map of the Southern Sydney Freight Line corridor.
Yellow: Route constructed as part of the SSFL project
Green: Existing relief line incorporated into the project
Grey: Existing Metropolitan Goods Railway Line

The Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) is a railway line under construction in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At present, a curfew for non-passenger trains operates in the suburban area during peak hours, restricting the movement of freight to off-peak periods. The proposed line would form a dedicated corridor between Port Botany and Macarthur, which would allow the movement of freight at any time. The line would allow greater efficiency in both commuter and freight services, and would form an important part in the development of the operations of Port Botany. The line will be managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), who undertook the Environmental Impact Assessment in 2005, with an estimated budget of $175 million.

Design

The line will consist of a 36 km bi-directional single track running parallel to the Main South line between Birrong and Glenlee to separate goods trains from passenger trains. Passing loops will be provided at Glenfield and Leightonfield.

The line begins at Macarthur, running to the west of the existing tracks. It joins an existing relief line between Ingleburn and Glenfield stations built in the early 1990s as part of the Federal Government's One Nation infrastructure project. This line was able to be utilised by long distance passenger services in addition to freight services in its former configuration. Just north of Glenfield the line crosses over to the east of the existing tracks, with potential access to the proposed Holsworthy freight hub. The line continues to follow the Main South Line from Cabramatta to Sefton, incorporating the existing Leightonfield Freight loop and depot. At Sefton Junction, the line passes under the Bankstown Line and joins the Metropolitan Goods Line which provides access to the Chullora, Enfield and Port Botany marshalling yards.

Station works

Footbridge extension and new lifts at Minto.

The construction of the new line required modifications to several stations along the route. Station receiving Easy Access upgrades are Sefton, Warwick Farm, Casula and Minto. Cabramatta received a new concourse, and the footbridge is being extended at Leumeah, but these stations already had Easy Access facilities.

Timeline

Approval was obtained in October 2008 and construction commenced in early 2009, focusing on the section between Sefton and Cabramatta with completion due in early 2010. By August 2009 construction was under way along the whole corridor. On 3 November 2009, the ARTC deferred the project for at least five months due to more service relocation, changes to the signalling system which could not occur until 2011 and changes in the design for cost purposes with the project already costing $309 million.

In September 2010 the ARTC announced the resumption of the project, which will now be delivered in three stages. The first stage was the work conducted prior to the suspension. The second stage, between Birrong and Leightonfield, will be completed in late 2011. The final stage, between Leightonfield and Macarthur, is due for completion in early 2013.

Noise concerns

Residents along the corridor between Liverpool and Casula have been lobbying the ARTC, the NSW Government and the Federal Government over the issue of noise. They are demanding the construction of noise barriers along the corridor. Residents argue that the Southern Sydney Freight Line will increase noise levels due to the extension of the line’s operational hours and the nature of the new traffic. Existing traffic along the line consists largely of passenger services which operate under a curfew. Freight traffic is excluded at certain times during the day as well. The new freight line will allow freight movements at any time of the day or night with trains of up to 1.5 km in length.

State Member for Macquarie Fields Dr Andrew McDonald and Federal member for Werriwa Chris Hayes have both indicated their agreement with and support for the residents’ request in their respective Parliaments. Liverpool City Council has also sided with the residents.

The ARTC’s position is that as they are in compliance with all existing environmental impact guidelines, they are not required to provide sound mitigation.

See also

• Railways in Sydney
• Northern Sydney Freight Corridor - a similar project in the north
• CityRail
• CityRail Clearways Project
• Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program

External links

• ARTC Homepage
• Southern Sydney Freight Line Project Site
• Southern Sydney Freight Line Project ARTC Press Release
• CityRail Homepage