The 28km Gowrie to Helidon section of Inland Rail includes constructing a new track through the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley region in Queensland and building a vast freight tunnel.
The new dual gauge track will run from Gowrie, north-west of Toowoomba to Helidon, east of Toowoomba, and will include several significant viaducts and cuttings designed to create an efficient route through the steep terrain.
A new 6.2km tunnel will be built through the Toowoomba Range, making it the largest diameter diesel freight tunnel in the southern hemisphere.
This project is currently in the reference design stage. During this time, we are conducting various studies and consulting with landowners and other key stakeholders to finalise plans for this project. This technically complex section of Inland Rail will be delivered using a Public Private Partnership funding arrangement.
Draft EIS Request for Information
On 30 September 2022, the Queensland Coordinator-General requested additional information (known formally as a Request For Information or RFI) for the Gowrie to Helidon project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The feedback from the Coordinator-General is commensurate with major projects in Australia and we are now working on addressing the RFI items and preparing a revised draft EIS.
For more information about the EIS process and next steps, visit the Coordinator-General’s website.
Snapshot
Type
New track
Length
28km
Anticipated works
Building new dual gauge track, including a 6.2km tunnel, 13 bridges and viaduct structures, and 3 crossing loops
Status
Project map
This section uses both the existing rail corridor at Gowrie and the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Gowrie to Grandchester 2003 protected corridor.
Interactive maps
We have developed interactive consultation and noise maps for the project.
Drop a pin on the consultation map to add your comment. Your feedback will help us get a better understanding of key issues from a community perspective.
The noise map shows the noise levels predicted from the railway operations in 2027.
Gowrie to Kagaru section fact sheet
Information on the Gowrie to Kagaru project, which encompasses three sections: Gowrie to Helidon, Helidon to Calvert and Calvert to Kagaru. The Gowrie to Kagaru section of Inland Rail is considered the most technically complex section of the Inland Rail program.
