There's a tall new shed under construction on the rail lines near the Humffray Street level crossing - what is it?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
V/Line confirmed the structure is a type of "train monitoring facility", which uses "state-of-the-art technology" to record trains travelling through the area and improve reliability.
The site's on the western station side of the level crossing, and is near the existing Bombardier VLocity train maintenance facility further down the line to the east.
According to V/Line, recording a train in live running provides engineers with more information about the condition of the train than a visual inspection alone, helping them to tailor train maintenance programs to be as efficient as possible and reduce the risk of disruptions due to train faults.
A similar facility has been built in Bendigo as well.
It was suggested the shed could have been a new train wash facility, given recent investments elsewhere on the network to get more trains back into service following a spate of animal collisions.
These collisions led to several trains being taken off the network for cleaning and inspections, causing disruptions throughout 2019.
V/Line did not provide detail on when the shed will be finished or how much the project will cost.
In July 2019, major upgrades took place to add more stabling facilities to the station, allowing six more trains to be stored overnight.
The nearby heritage-style gates on either side of the Humffray Street level crossing, installed years ago when they were replaced with boom gates, will be "revitalised" as well.
'We understand the historical significance of the heritage gates at the Humffray Street level crossing and we are working with specialists to preserve this history so it can be enjoyed by generations to come," a V/Line spokesperson said in a statement.
The project is currently in the planning stage.
IN THE NEWS
It's not yet known exactly what will happen with the heritage-style gates on Lydiard Street - an interim solution for reopening the street by September is expected to involve boom gates.
Heritage advocates and council have demanded the heritage-style gates be reinstated permanently.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
