The Australian Rail Track Corporation has announced that Inland Rail Beveridge – Parkes rail section has been prioritised for completion by 2027 when will provide connection between Victoria and the New South Wales.
This decision is in line with the Australian Government’s response to the independent review of the Inland Rail programme.
Future decisions by the Australian Government on the delivery of Inland Rail sections north of Narromine (New South Wales) will be contingent on gaining the required primary approvals and land required for the Inland Rail corridor.
Work to complete construction works already underway on the Narrabri (New South Wales) to North Star (NSW/Queensland border) phase 1 project will continue. For the Narrabri – North Star phase 2 project, work to secure the required state and federal approvals will continue, through the collection of information needed to help inform the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.
Subject to the Narromine – Narrabri and North Star to NSW/ Queensland border sections achieving Australian Government approvals, we’ll conduct further investigations, such as identifying utilities locations and investigating ground conditions, to help refine elements of the project’s design and provide more certainty on the delivery and cost of the full Inland Rail project.
The Australian Government has announced that the Inland Rail service offering of double-stacked trains will operate between the intermodal terminal at Beveridge in Victoria and a proposed terminal at Ebenezer in Queensland, with a single-stacked, dual gauge connection to be built between Ebenezer and Kagaru.
As such, the scope of the Inland Rail project now finishes at Kagaru. The Government also agreed a second intermodal terminal at Truganina be developed.
The Inland Rail Beveridge – Parkes rail section together with the connection to Narromine will be completed in 2027 and with the exception of the 174.6 km of track completed between Narrabri and North Star, sections north of Narromine will be subject to a scope, design and cost reviewed to gain certainty as to delivery and full cost of the programme.
This year, the Australian Government committed AUD 3 million (USD 2 million) towards a feasibility study for an intermodal terminal in Parkes, New South Wales.
In April 2023, the Australian Government responded to the Independent Review of Inland Rail report accepting all 19 recommendations to improve the implementation of the project. They include the establishment of a subsidiary company to deliver Inland Rail, the assessment of the scope and cost of the project, the prioritization of the sections, deciding and developing intermodal terminals in Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as maximising regional opportunities available from Inland Rail.
The Australian Government has acknowledged Beveridge and Truganina (in Melbourne area, in Victoria), and Ebenezer (in Queensland), subject to the completion of a business case with the Queensland Government, as the preferred locations for open-access intermodal terminal and the end points for Inland Rail’s double stacked service offering.
In the state of Victoria, Inland Rail works started in February 2023 on the Tottenham – Albury section comprising the upgrade of 305 km of existing line between metropolitan Melbourne and the Victoria – NSW border at Albury-Wodonga. Due to its scale and complexity, the project is broken into two phases including Beveridge – Albury section (phase 1) which requires works at 12 sites along the North East rail line from Beveridge, about 40 km north of Melbourne, to Albury. The second phase covers the South of Beveridge section (phase 2) which is one of the two preferred locations for an open-access intermodal terminal ((together with Truganina).
Recently, ARTC announced that works will soon start in Wangaratta covering significant changes around the Wangaratta railway station precinct. At the station, there is not enough clearance under the two station footbridges or Green Street bridge, meaning substantial works are required to facilitate the safe passage of double-stacked trains. The contractor McConnell Dowell will replace the footbridges with a pedestrian underpass, will relocate the existing track on the eastern side of the station and construct a new platform, and replace the existing Green Street bridge which will be closed until 2024.
Inland Rail is a 1,700 rail freight corridor that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Construction works started in 2018 and are expected to be completed in 2027.
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