Inland Rail is a fast freight line that will be delivered in stages to connect Australia while generating regional opportunities during construction and beyond.
The vision for Inland Rail is to eventually connect Melbourne to Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The full 1,600km route is divided into sections, enabling the project to be delivered in stages.
The Australian Government has confirmed that construction between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in NSW remains the priority for completion.
Inland Rail work north of Parkes will focus on preserving the rail corridor and protecting sites for future Inland Rail intermodal terminals in Queensland.
What does preserving the corridor mean?
Preserving the corridor means protecting the current Inland Rail alignment beyond Narromine in NSW while future delivery decisions are considered.
Corridor preservation is a complex process that is implemented differently across states. Inland Rail is working with railway operator Australian Rail Track Corporation and the Australian and state governments to determine what is required to preserve the corridor.
Status of sections North of Parkes
Future decisions on the delivery of sections north of Narromine are a matter for consideration by the Australian Government, along with environmental approvals, land acquisition requirements and corridor preservation activities.
Some northern sections have already achieved planning and environmental approval milestones. The Narrabri to North Star Phase 2 segment has received NSW and Australian Government approval, while environmental approvals have also been obtained for the Narromine to Narrabri and North Star to NSW/Qld Border sections.
Select a section below for the latest information about individual sections.