Inland Rail says concerns raised are common, minor defects

A local rail action group member has aired concerns of the long-term functionality of the new-look Wangaratta railway precinct. Repairs are currently being undertaken by Inland Rail contractors at the station’s new eastern entrance, with the accessibility ramp temporarily closed. Concrete is being replaced after cracking, and an uneven surface was observed. There is also a temporary bridge over a footpath going into the station, with the surface seeming to have sunk. The $70 million Inland Rail project at Wangaratta was officially opened in May and included building of a new west track and platform for northbound traffic, installation of accessibility infrastructure and new carparking on the east and west sides of the station. Wangaratta Rail Action Group member David Maroney said he held major concerns about the functionality and longevity of the precinct’s new infrastructure. Mr Maroney, who attends to regular maintenance at the station, said he believed the concrete cracking and uneven surface was caused by rainfall in the week prior to the repairs beginning, citing the water table was just four metres below surface. “The surface beneath is like putty after it rains,” he said. “Since they changed the gauge over, the ancient top layer has been disturbed. “I’m concerned about the movement, because we haven’t had much rain since they finished this, if we get a downpour, goodness knows what’s going to happen.” On the western accessibility ramp, cracking and patchworks can be seen along the wall, which Mr Maroney said he feared would only worsen with heavier periods of rain and heavy trains coming through the new bow in the tracks to get under the Green Street overpass. “As the train is coming from the south, the pressure of the train pushing this way, the pressure on the wall underneath here would be tremendous,” he said. An Inland Rail spokesperson said on large construction projects such as the transformation of the Wangaratta railway precinct, it was common for minor defects to be identified and repaired soon after its completion. “Site inspections, defect identification and rectification are required under the construction contract and Inland Rail and our construction partner McConnell Dowell are working together to monitor the completed work,” they said. “The project’s design and construction methodology have been prepared, approved, and executed to consider the local conditions, including ground types, subsurface water, local climate, and many other site-specific conditions that exist at the precinct. “The precinct is expected to continue to operate as intended, as defects are typically minor in nature and quickly repaired.”

Inland Rail says concerns raised are common, minor defects

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