THREE weeks after a coal train derailment caused extensive damage to the Coxs Creek Bridge near Boggabri, the Northern rail line has reopened.
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An ARTC spokesperson said the rail line reopened at 9am this morning to freight and passengers services.
As a safety precaution, temporary speed restrictions for train services will be in place, with train speeds restricted to 20km per hour for the first 24 hours over the bridge which has undergone extensive reconstruction.
Full track speeds will return in February.
“Managing speeds is a standard safety procedure when returning or commissioning a piece of large infrastructure such as the bridge crossing,” the spokesperson said.
“Additionally, the Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR) has visited the site a number of times to inspect and assess work progress throughout the reconstruction process and provide quality assurance,” the spokesperson said.