Utilities and services

All applications must comply with:

• Not discharging drainage onto railway land (note: it is illegal to do this). Please contact the local council where your asset is located to locate a legal point of discharge.
• Building your own pipes or culvert/s to a legal point of discharge.
• Not using railway culverts. These can only be used by railway entities:
  
  o Applicant will need to refer to local drainage authority for a legal point of discharge.
  o VicTrack cannot provide a legal point of discharge, as the railway drainage is not a drainage network. 
  o Applicant is to install their own drainage under the railway and must apply for a service licence agreement.
  
  
• Ensuring a retarding basin is not adjacent to railway land.

 

Proposed service crossings under rail tracks

• Proposed service crossings must be at least two metres below the tracks.
• They must be encased (VicTrack boundary to boundary) in encasing compliant with the latest version of AS4799.
• No pits, bend or access points are allowed within VicTrack land.
• Boring is strongly preferred over trenching through rail tracks.
• VicTrack land not used for rail operation will be subject to the same conditions and requirements as regions under active rail operation.
 

For detailed information on meeting compliance download the Compliance Review Guidelines.

 

 

Application fee

Our application review process fee is $3,060 + GST* for each application. 

This is a one-off assessment fee when applying for a third-party asset licence agreement and is non-refundable. Note: application fees will increase from June 2026. 

If you are a new client, please download VicTrack’s bank details and ABN form to help you do what?

 

License fees

The asset owner is responsible for the ongoing annual payment of the third-party asset license fee.

Our standard third-party single asset license fees are $104 per asset per annum (this is for an asset that crosses the rail). Note: license fees will increase from June 2026

Assets along the rail are subject to a valuation process. Please contact VicTrack for more information on how these ae calculated. 

 

Additional costs

During the process, some activities may attract additional fees. These include: 

• cost of the independent technical review that takes place during phase 3 of the application process
• review and site access by the relevant rail transport operator (e.g. Metro Trains)
• project management fees, if the volume or complexity of your application requires additional resources.

However, we will notify you first, if additional fees will apply.

 

As part of the application process, you must contact usVicTrack for information that is mandatory to include with your third-party asset application. Complete the below steps prior to commencing the Install Utilities Form.

Step 1. Contact Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) for site information
You will need to add any further information found to your proposed design drawing.

 

Step 2. Source location information
We need you to provide a GPS location and Google Maps Location (pinned location) and proposed design drawing (which includes the location).

 

Step 3. Contact VicTrack for your application reference details

You will need

• VicTrack file reference number (this will allow you to track your new third-party asset application)
• Location - To nearest railway station
• Chainage (km along the railway reserve)
• Name of the railway line
• Payment of third-party asset application fee to VicTrack via EFT VicTrack ABN and Banking/EFT details

 

Step 4. Site investigation

1. To locate services onsite, engage a Registered Service Locator (as per AS4799 and AS500). 

2. Contact the rail operator for access to the railway land for the purpose of:

• site features - topography, visible assets, etc.
• geotech investigation (soil sampling).
  
  

Rail operators:

• Transport Victoria
• Metro Trains Melbourne 
• Yarra Trams 
• V/Line 
• ARTC (Australian Rail Track Corporation)
• Tourist Railway

 

Step 5. Prepare your drawings

It is important that you send us detailed drawings with your application form.

These detailed drawings must: 

• show all works occurring within VicTrack land
• be as shown in the following sample drawings for underground services or overhead services
• be compliant with the Design Requirements and Guidelines and the Overhead Works Guidelines 
• show all existing services within VicTrack land (once confirmed and depthed on-site) in the vicinity of proposed works.

 

The VicTrack application process can take on average from 4-6 weeks to complete if you have submitted all of the required information outlined in the:

• VicTrack four phase application process and
• VicTrack third-party asset application checklist  and that they adhere to
• VicTrack Compliance Review Guidelines.

During the process, we review your design drawings, consult internally and externally, and prepare, draft and execute any required licences.

Phase 1: External review and VicTrack internal review

• You submit your application to VicTrack. You will receive automated confirmation that your application has been received.
• VicTrack runs a compliance check.
• VicTrack responds to the compliance check.

 

Phase 2: Independent engineering firm compliance review 

The applicant needs to engage their own independent engineering firm (VicTrack does not provide this service).

For detailed information about this phase,  please read the Compliance Review Guidelines 

 

Phase 3: Rail operator review for construction site access to their leased rail corridor

• VicTrack will serve notice to the applicable rail operators.
• The applicant will directly deal with the rail operators via their website portal to progress their application for site access.

Where works are proposed within vacant VicTrack land, you will be referred to the Infrastructure Department within VicTrack, who will arrange access to the site to enable the works to be undertaken.

 

Phase 4: VicTrack licensing and final approval

Upon receipt of the completed rail operator review from the applicant, VicTrack will send the asset owner approval of works and the third-party asset licence agreement for execution. 

Following receipt of the signed documentation, VicTrack will provide the applicant with a notice advising you to contact the rail operator to arrange final access to undertake the proposed works. 

You will receive a conditional approval email from the rail operators followed by arranging site access with rail operator prior to commencing works. 

Your online application must provide specific information about the proposed asset.

The more robust an application is, the faster it will progress through our phases.

We encourage you to read these two documents for everything you will need. 

• VicTrack four phase application process
• VicTrack third-party asset application checklist 

 

Then apply online.

If your works fall under the category of Maintenance or Replacement, and the asset has an existing third-party asset licence agreement in place you can apply online. 

To confirm your VicTrack File Reference Number you can contact the Utilities and Services team at services@victrack.com.au

Where an asset is no longer in use by the asset owner an asset can be decommissioned (asset may be removed or made safe) and will result in the third-party asset licence being terminated (or the asset is removed from the schedule of an existing General Licence). 

For information about proposed decommissioning works, please refer to the Decommissioning Guidelines.

If your works fall under the category of Decommissioning, and the asset has an existing third-party asset licence agreement in place you can apply online. 

To confirm your VicTrack File Reference Number you can contact the Utilities and Services team at services@victrack.com.au 

What is a VicTrack file reference number?

• A VicTrack file reference number refers to the application number for an asset number on VicTrack records. Once your asset application has been completed this will be the reference number for the asset installed on VicTrack land.
  
  
• If you have a General License with VicTrack you will have a reference number for the General License, and within that license each asset on the License schedule will have its own asset number with VicTrack.  

 

How I find my VicTrack file reference number?

• If your application is for an existing asset on VicTrack land, VicTrack can advise of you of the applicable file reference number. 
  
  
• If your application is for a new asset, VicTrack will need to issue you a new file reference number. Please contact services@victrack.com.au for a file reference number before applying.

How to I find the chainage details for my application?
If you do not have this information, please contact services@victrack.com.au before you apply.

Can VicTrack culverts be used for drainage access?
No, VicTrack cannot be used or accessed for drainage. Please contact services@victrack.com.au for more information.

How can I contact the Utilities and Services team?
You can send an email to services@victrack.com.au