A biotechnical approach to the remediation of erosion damage to rail track formations in Central Queensland

Central Queensland University and the Coal and Minerals Infrastructure Division of Queensland Rail have initiated a research project to develop strategies for prevention and control of track formation erosion in central Queensland. The implementation of effective erosion control strategies is expected to save Queensland Rail about $6,000/km in annual maintenance costs and also minimise the transport of sediment from Queensland Rail property into creeks and rivers. The erosion processes which need to be controlled are described herein as well as the computer model needed to model these processes. Details of field trials on the Gregory rail line embankment are presented. The main objective of tile field trials is to determine the effects of various surface treatments including seeding with grasses on the hydrological processes responsible for rail track formation erosion. Rainfall and runoff flow rates (at one minute time intervals) together with total bed and suspended sediment loads are being measured during each storm event. Computer simulations of the hydrological processes under different scenarios of storm frequency, rill characteristics and plant growth parameters are presented.