The Narrabri to North Star section in north-west New South Wales is the second Inland Rail section to enter construction.
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.
Narrabri to North Star 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.
Trains can now travel faster on parts of rail line between Narrabri and North Star which have already been upgraded, slowing down on the segments near Moree that are undergoing design refinement.
Snapshot
Type
Upgrade and new track
Length
184km upgrade track
approximately 2km new track
Work completed
163km of existing track upgraded to the north and south of Moree
Work remaining
Upgrading 21km of existing track and building 2km of new track between south Moree and Camurra
Segments in design and yet to be upgraded
The 23km of yet-to-be-upgraded rail corridor will unlock larger volumes of more resilient and efficient rail freight transport once it is completed. Engineering design refinement is happening now to finalise the scope and cost of construction for Australian Government consideration.
It includes two segments, one to the north and one to the south of Moree’s town centre:
Tapscott Road to Alice Street
(Narrabri to North Star Phase 1)
An 8km segment of rail corridor that was part of the Phase 1 planning application.
It was de-scoped from the Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 section in 2022 to enable resolution of complex signalling requirements in the area.
It includes an interface with Moree’s grain and cotton handling sidings, Moree East siding and Moree train station.
Alice Street to Camurra
(Narrabri to North Star Phase 2)
This segment comprises 13km of existing rail track and formation across the Mehi-Gwydir floodplain and the construction of around 2km of greenfield rail track to bypass the existing Camurra Hairpin. The proposal also includes a 1.3km spur to reconnect the Weemelah line.
The Phase 2 planning application was approved by the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces on 4 December 2025 and is currently being assessed by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.
Segments completed
163km of existing rail corridor was upgraded by construction contractor Trans4m Rail between April 2021 and October 2023.
The scope involved a full rebuild of the rail tracks, rail formation, culverts, bridges and supporting structures between Narrabri and Tapscott Road in south Moree and the segment north of Moree, between Camurra and North Star. Grain trains have been utilising these segments since operations resumed in November 2023.
For all queries related to the operational rail corridor and fencing, contact the ARTC Community Line on 1300 550 402, or email community@artc.com.au.
VIDEO: See the first train collecting canola from Croppa Creek silos, located in the northern part of the operational segment.
Project maps
View and download a range of maps including topographical, state and simple graphic maps as well as a video showing Inland Rail connectivity with regional lines.
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. We also hold events across the region, 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:
