4.2 Assessment Factors

Several factors must be considered in the assessment of Possession Requests to ensure the integrity and safety of the network and its users, as outlined below.
• Receipt of Request within the relevant minimum advertisement period.
• Impact to ARTC network operations, customers and interfacing rail networks including:
▪ total number of impacts a service will encounter en-route;
▪ time criticality of a service and ability to absorb en-route delays; and
▪ ability to meet time deadlines onto adjacent rail networks.
• Master Train Plan (MTP) constraints and ‘life’ of the current plan.
• Programmed or Future Works on the same or adjacent corridor or adjacent networks to avoid continuous train running disruption.
• Peak Rail Traffic Periods vary by season, gazetted holidays, special events, days of the week and/or time of day and necessitate greater stakeholder consultation. Indicative Peak Rail Traffic Periods (Subject to Change Without Notice):

NSW / VIC Grain Harvest November to March
Intermodal Freight October to December
SA Grain Harvest October to April

Consideration may be given to Possession Requests between Christmas and New Years Day, over the Easter Weekend or other gazetted long weekends within the indicative ‘Peak Rail Periods’ as freight requirements are generally reduced.
• Post-Possession Impacts and whether the track will be fully operational at the completion of the Possession. Note: the Request should detail any special train working or warning requirements to be imposed after the Possession completion.
• Availability of alternate ad hoc pathing options (Window Possessions Only) taking into
account the needs of Operators and Asset/Project priorities.
• Criticality of the Possession to the continued safe operations on the ARTC Network. A lack of due diligence in the planning process will not constitute an elevated level of criticality.
• Special Consideration may be required, for example, due to the criticality of the Request. In such an event, the Request will be escalated to the Interstate GM Group.