TasRail has suspended freight rail operations on the Western and Melba lines of the Tasmanian Rail Network until further notice.
Severe weather warnings for North and North West Tasmania have been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and modelling advice predicts severe flooding conditions in the area.
TasRail’s CEO Steven Dietrich said that the business’s priority was the safety of its staff and on-going monitoring of operational rail infrastructure.
“A number of emergency warnings have now been issued by Tasmania SES for areas along the Western Line. TasRail will continue to safely monitor the situation, keenly aware of the impact that the 2016 flood on our network and surrounding communities,” he said.
Mr Dietrich said that TasRail had communicated the decision directly with its customers who were supportive of the decision.
“All other lines currently remain open but will continue to be reassessed as the event unfolds and circumstances change.”
