Narrabri to North Star section update: Autumn 2026
Catch up on the latest progress in the development of the Narrabri to North Star section of Inland Rail.
April 13, 2026
Since our last update, we’ve achieved key milestones across the Narrabri to North Star section of Inland Rail.
We’ve now secured all environmental approvals for Phase 2 between Alice Street, Moree and Camurra, which means we can now concentrate on progressing design refinement.
We’ve also proposed a design for the segment south of Alice Street.
Phase 2 – Alice Street to Camurra
Last month, the Narrabri to North Star Phase 2 segment received Australian Government approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
With all primary environmental approvals now complete, we’re focussing our effort on refining the section’s engineering design.
Feedback from the 2023 Environmental Impact Statement public exhibition, additional assessments requested by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) and recent flooding data are driving updates to the original reference design. We’ll also use data from last year’s site investigations to progress our design refinements.
Geotechnical investigations at Skinners Creek bridge, north of Moree
Last October, we carried out geotechnical investigations at the Skinners Creek bridge site and gathered crucial information about the soil and rock that will support the new bridge. With a clear picture of the ground conditions, engineers can make more detailed engineering decisions, such as how deep the bridge piers need to be to ensure a strong and stable bridge structure.
This design phase will produce what is called a preliminary design. It helps confirm a more detailed scope and cost to build Inland Rail. The Australian Government will then be able to consider future decisions on the delivery of Narrabri to North Star Phase 2.
Phase 1 – Tapscott Road to Alice Street
Visualisation of the proposed parallel alignment at Halls Creek looking towards Moree town centre, with the Newell Highway to the left.
Our team has been meeting with rail freight operators, impacted landowners, Moree Plains Shire Council and other key stakeholders to share a design solution for the remaining 8km of the Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 alignment between Tapscott Road and Alice Street.
The proposed design introduces a new rail line west of the existing operational line, within the same rail corridor. This approach resolves complex signalling requirements along this segment, where multiple turnouts and level crossings intersect. It also moves Inland Rail operations off this section of the existing line, allowing Inland Rail freight trains to safely bypass the Moree grain handling siding.
We’re now working through what we heard during consultation, and we’ll engage with the wider community again once the design is further progressed.
Where you’ll see us next
With our focus now on design refinement, our site investigation activities will turn to the stretch of railway under the Newell Highway overpass, which we also removed from the original Phase 1 construction scope.
The Newell Highway will need to be raised, to enable double-stacked trains to pass safely underneath.
To develop the engineering design at this location, we need more data on the ground conditions and will need to carry out geotechnical investigations.
We’ll let locals know once we lock in a schedule for these investigations.
Image: Ballast train traveling below the Newell Highway overpass north of Narrabri.
Talk to the Inland Rail team
If you would like to contact Inland Rail’s Narrabri to North Star team, you can either call, send an email or visit one of our offices. And you’re welcome to subscribe to our enewsletter.
| Phone | 1800 732 761 during business hours or leave a message and we'll get back to you. |
| inlandrailnsw@inlandrail.com.au | |
| Inland Rail Pty Ltd, 85 Maitland Street, Narrabri NSW 2390 | |
| Visit | 85 Maitland Street, Narrabri, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm |
Alternatively, you can fill out the below form, and request a team member to contact you:
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Inland Rail is a 1,600km fast freight rail line, now under construction, that will link Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The route has been divided into 12 sections, to allow for a staged delivery of the open-access fast freight rail line.
The Narrabri to North Star section in north-west New South Wales crosses the three local government areas of Narrabri, Moree Plains and Gwydir. Due to its scale and complexity, the Narrabri to North Star section was broken into two stages to ensure construction could start while we finalise development of the more complex segments around Moree.
The Narrabri to North Star section connects to the Narromine to Narrabri and the North Star to NSW/Qld Border sections of Inland Rail
