Inland Rail is an important project to meet Australia’s growing freight task, improve road safety and help decarbonise our economy.
Inland Rail involves enhancing approximately 1,000km of existing railway track and constructing 600km of new track passing through regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
The sections of Inland Rail between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales are prioritised for completion by the end of 2027.
Inland Rail will enhance our national freight and supply chain capabilities, connecting existing freight routes and supporting Australia’s growth.
Delivering Inland Rail will help shift more goods onto rail, meaning faster, more reliable freight; safer, less congested roads; and fewer emissions.
What is the purpose of Inland Rail?
Inland Rail will better link businesses, manufacturers and producers to national and global markets and generate opportunities for industries and regions during construction and beyond.
Who is building Inland Rail?
Inland Rail Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), is building Inland Rail on behalf of the Australian Government.
Work on Australia’s largest freight rail infrastructure project is well underway, and we’re partnering with regional businesses and communities to make it happen. As each section of Inland Rail is completed, it will be operated and managed by ARTC.
What is the status of the Inland Rail project?
Construction of Inland Rail is well underway in regional Victoria and New South Wales.
To manage the enormous scale of the largest freight rail infrastructure project in Australia, we are taking a staged approach to deliver Inland Rail. The route comprises 12 sections, all of which are in various stages of planning, approvals and construction. Approximately 279km of the line has been completed (as of May 2025).
Inland Rail progress by State:
Victoria:
Major construction on the first four sites on Victoria’s Beveridge to Albury section is almost completed.
- The rail tracks under the Murray Valley Highway road bridge in Barnawartha North have been lowered and are operational.
- The Green Street bridge in Wangaratta has been replaced and tracks lowered underneath
- The new Beaconsfield Parade bridge in Glenrowan is now operational
- Wangaratta Station precinct modifications including replacing two footbridges with a pedestrian underpass, relocating the eastern rail track to the western side of the station and building a new station platform will be completed in mid-2025.
Major construction has also started in Euroa, with early works and design engagement underway on the other seven remain sites in Victoria – Benalla Station precinct; Hume Freeway, Seymour; Tallarook; Broadford– Wandong road bridge in Wandong; and Marchbanks Road, Short Street and Hamilton Street in Broadford.
New South Wales:
- The Parkes to Narromine section and the Narrabri North Star Phase 1 section are both complete, with freight trains running on the line.
- Construction on the Stockinbingal to Parkes section in southern NSW is expected to be completed in mid-2025.
- Major construction on the Albury to Illabo section in southern NSW will start in mid-2025.
- Major construction on the Illabo to Stockinbingal section will start in late 2025.
Future decisions on the delivery of sections north of Narromine in NSW and into Queensland are a matter for consideration by the Australian Government, along with Inland Rail achieving environmental approvals and securing land required for the project in this region.
Inland Rail project teams in northern NSW are working closely with their communities to make sure we understand their concerns, action opportunities to reduce impacts, conduct further site investigations and refine our designs.
Queensland:
Future decisions on the delivery of Inland Rail in Queensland are a matter for consideration by the Australian Government, along with Inland Rail achieving environmental approvals and securing land required for the project.
Inland Rail project teams in these areas are working hard with their communities to make sure we understand their concerns, action opportunities to reduce impacts, conduct further site investigations and refine our designs.
What are the Inland Rail Sections?
There are 12 Inland Rail sections across three Australian states. Click on the state name to find out more.
Construction is underway in Victoria, and is prioritised for completion by the end of 2027. Subscribe for updates.
Beveridge to Albury
Comprises 262km of existing track.
This section will be enhanced to increase height and width clearances to allow for double-stacked trains.
In New South Wales, the section from Parkes to Narromine is operational and major construction on the Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 section is completed. The NSW project areas south of Parkes are prioritised for completion by the end of 2027. Subscribe for updates.
North Star to NSW/Qld Border
Comprises 5km of new track and 25km of existing track.
This section will complete one of the key missing rail links between New South Wales and Queensland, using the non-operational rail corridor or new track to connect to the operating line running to Yelarbon.
Narrabri to North Star
Comprises 184km of upgraded track and 2km of new track.
This section is divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2. Major construction on the Phase 1 section is complete and the Phase 2 section is in the environmental approvals phase.
Narromine to Narrabri
Comprises 306km of new rail corridor and track.
This new section will reduce the overall journey time and complete one of the missing rail links between Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
Parkes to Narromine
Comprises 98km of existing track and 5km of new track.
It is the first section of Inland Rail to be completed and accommodates double-stacked trains.
Stockinbingal to Parkes
Comprises 170km of existing track.
Inland Rail will benefit from the track upgrades ARTC has already completed to this section. Enhancement works will be undertaken to allow for double-stacked trains and a new crossing loop built to increase capacity on the line.
Illabo to Stockinbingal
Comprises 37km of new track and 2km of upgraded track.
The route bypasses the winding section of track called the Bethungra Spiral.
Albury to Illabo
Comprises 185km of existing track.
Inland Rail will benefit from the track upgrades ARTC has already completed to this section. Enhancements or modification works will be undertaken at locations to allow for safe clearance of double-stacked freight trains.
Planning, approval and pre-construction work is ongoing for sections in Queensland. Subscribe for updates.
Calvert to Kagaru
Comprises 53km of new dual gauge track within existing rail corridor.
This section includes 39km of dual-gauge track allowing single-stacked operations between a proposed terminal at Ebenezer and Kagaru.
Using 1.1km of tunnelling, this section will connect Inland Rail with the existing Sydney to Brisbane coastal line and the Port of Brisbane.
Helidon to Calvert
Comprises 28km of new dual gauge track.
Gowrie to Helidon
Comprises 28km of new dual gauge track.
This section will traverse the steep terrain of the Toowoomba Range and will include a 6.2km tunnel.
NSW/Qld Border to Gowrie
Comprises 217km of dedicated single track featuring approximately 149km of new rail corridor and 68km of existing open access rail corridor.
Did you know?
10 key Inland Rail facts
1.
Spanning more than 1,600km, Inland Rail is the largest freight rail project in Australia and one of the most significant rail infrastructure projects in the world.
2.
It comprises 12 individual sections across 30 local government areas: one section in Victoria, seven in New South Wales, and four in Queensland.
3.
Inland Rail will upgrade 1,000km of existing rail line and build 600km of new track to connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
4.
Inland Rail will reduce traffic congestion by taking tens of thousands of large trucks off our roads each year.
5.
Inland Rail will cut rail freight travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane by almost a third – down from 33 hours to less than 24 hours – making it competitive with road.
6.
One section of Inland Rail includes construction of a 6.2km tunnel through the steep terrain of the Toowoomba Range. It will be the largest diameter diesel freight tunnel in the southern hemisphere.
7.
Inland Rail will provide a consistent standard gauge connection from Melbourne to Brisbane as well as a dual gauge connection in Queensland, to allow seamless connectivity with Queensland’s narrow-gauge network.
8.
Almost 70% of freight carried on Inland Rail will be for domestic use – that includes household goods and food.
9.
Inland Rail will allow for the transit of greater freight volumes, with each 1.8km-long train capable of carrying up to the equivalent of 110 B-double trucks.
10.
Once each section of Inland Rail is completed it becomes part of ARTC’s freight rail network and enhances Australia’s supply chain. The already-completed North-West Connection at Parkes in New South Wales links Inland Rail to Brisbane, Melbourne and the East-West line to Perth – reducing the rail distance between Brisbane and Perth, and Brisbane and Adelaide, by 500km and ultimately connecting all of Australia.
Inland Rail frequently asked questions
Yes, Inland Rail is still going ahead.
After the Independent Review by the Australian Government in 2023, it was determined that the construction of projects south of Parkes in New South Wales would be prioritised for completion by the end of 2027 (the Parkes to Narromine section is already finished). It was also decided that the Inland Rail double-stacked service offering would run between proposed freight intermodal terminals in Beveridge, Victoria, and Ebenezer, in Queensland, with single-stacked trains able to pass through Ebenezer to Kagaru to connect with the existing Sydney to Brisbane coastal line.
Some sections of Inland Rail are complete and operational.
Learn more about how Inland Rail will be used.
You can also download a higher resolution version of the Inland Rail Map (pictured below).
Full alignment of the 1,600km Inland Rail freight line from Melbourne to Brisbane.
About 280 km of line has been completed (as of May 2024).
As Inland Rail is such a large project – stretching 1,600km across three states – construction has been divided into 12 sections, with a focus on completing the sections between Parkes, NSW and Beveridge, Vic by the end of 2027.
All sections are in various stages of approval and construction. When a section is completed, it is handed over to ARTC, the operator of the line, and becomes operational.
The purpose of Inland Rail is to carry freight trains on an inland route through regional communities between Melbourne and Brisbane.
Inland Rail has been designed to enhance our national freight and supply chain capabilities, by connecting existing freight routes through rail, roads and ports.
Inland Rail means freight can be delivered faster and more reliably across Australia, and beyond to global markets. It also means safer, less congested roads and fewer carbon emissions.
Inland Rail will provide a consistent standard gauge connection from Melbourne to Brisbane as well as a dual gauge connection in Queensland to allow seamless connectivity with Queensland’s narrow-gauge network.
Read more about the benefits of Inland Rail.
The Australian Government is providing funding for the construction of Inland Rail.
Inland Rail Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), is building Inland Rail, on behalf of the Australian Government.
ARTC operates and maintains the nation’s freight network on behalf of the Australian Government.
When a section of the Inland Rail line is finished, Inland Rail Pty Ltd ‘commissions’ (hands over) that section to ARTC so it can be used by freight operators.
The Inland Rail railway line starts at Beveridge, Victoria, about 50km north of Melbourne, and ends at Kagaru, Queensland, about 60km south-east of Brisbane.
Inland Rail will carry freight trains.
About 70% of freight carried by trains on the Inland Rail line will be for domestic use, such as household goods and food. It’s designed to traverse major food and agricultural producing areas of three states, helping to distribute these vital goods to capital city and export markets in an efficient way.
Yes, Inland Rail is the largest single rail project in Australia.
The route stretches 1,600km from Beveridge in Victoria, to Kagaru, in Queensland. A project this big will take many years to complete, so the work has been divided into 12 sections.
The decision to run passenger services on the Inland Rail line is a matter for each State Government along the alignment, or for private operators, to determine in the future.
Inland Rail Pty Ltd has been commissioned by the Australian Government to design and construct Inland Rail primarily for double-stacked freight trains. These trains will be able to carry very large volumes of goods between intermodal terminals near Melbourne and Brisbane, and will also pick up and deliver freight to communities along its route.
Learn more about how Inland Rail will be used.
