Inland Rail breaks ground in Victoria

The Inland Rail project has reached an important milestone with the beginning of major construction works in Victoria, meaning construction is now underway in two of the three states.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) marked the occasion with a community event in Glenrowan, welcoming construction in Victoria after a thorough planning, engagement, and design process.

Connecting Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, Inland Rail is Australia’s largest freight rail infrastructure project and will aim to better connect businesses, manufacturers, and producers to national and global markets, and create new opportunities for Australian industries and regional communities.

Victoria is expected to benefit significantly from Inland Rail with freight efficiencies and investment opportunities expected to boost the state’s potential output by $6 billion over the first 50 years of operation.

According to the ARTC, businesses in Victoria are already benefiting from Inland Rail, with 58 contracts at a value of $269.1 million committed to Victorian businesses, as of December 2022, for services and supplies on the Victorian section of the project.

Inland Rail follows along the existing North East Rail Line that was upgraded in 2021. To enable double stacked trains ARTC must upgrade existing infrastructure at 12 sites:

Broadford-Wandong Road bridge, Wandong
Hamilton Street bridge, Broadford
Short Street bridge, Broadford
Marchbanks Road bridge, Broadford
Hume Highway bridge, Tallarook
Seymour-Avenel Road bridge, Seymour
Hume Highway bridge, Seymour
Anderson Street bridge, Euroa
Benalla Station Approach Road, Benalla
Beaconsfield Parade bridge, Glenrowan
Wangaratta Station Precinct, Wangaratta
Murray Valley Highway, Barnawartha North

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McConnell Dowell, the appointed contractor on the first four projects at Seymour, Barnawartha North, Glenrowan and Wangaratta, has commenced preliminary site works and will move into major construction in coming weeks. The remaining projects are currently in the reference design stage.

Inland Rail has already completed the Parkes to Narromine section in New South Wales with major construction works also underway on the Narrabri to North Star section in the state.

Rebecca Pickering, Interim Chief Executive Inland Rail, said: “Over the next four years, Inland Rail is set to deliver vital local stimulus and support hundreds of Victorian jobs.

“Construction activity will bring opportunities for businesses to participate in delivering the work, but there will also be a positive flow-on effect for motels, retailers, cafes and restaurants through to a range of service providers who will reap the benefits of the project.”

Pickering said the ARTC remained committed to meaningful and respectful consultation with the communities along the alignment as the delivery of the project continued.

“We acknowledge the construction activity will disrupt local communities close to our projects and we thank them for their patience and understanding as we deliver this important project,” she said.

For more information, visit: www.inlandrail.artc.com.au