Transformed Wangaratta station now open

The Wangaratta railway station precinct has been officially opened, marking the completion of major works on Inland Rail’s Beveridge to Albury (B2A) Tranche One project, as well as the completion of the first four Inland Rail sites in Victoria.

Wangaratta is one of 12 Inland Rail sites where works were required to increase clearance on the existing North East rail line to safely run double-stacked freight trains. Modifications of the station precinct and the replacement of the adjacent Green Street bridge were required to allow sufficient clearance for double-stacked freight trains.

These works included the relocation of track, addition of a new platform, removal of footbridges that were replaced with a single pedestrian underpass, as well as lowering the tracks under Green Street bridge and replacing the Green Street bridge on the same alignment.

Wangaratta station is the centrepiece of the B2A Tranche One project, which also involved upgrading sections of the 262 kilometres of existing rail between Beveridge and Albury.

The station is also now more accessible with a new western carpark, better connected with new pathways, lifts, ramps and stairs and safer with the installation of 35 security cameras.

Minor finishing works will continue around the Wangaratta Station precinct in coming weeks, including final landscaping, lighting installation and testing.

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The Wangaratta Station precinct opening follows completion of major construction sites at Barnawartha North, Glenrowan, Seymour-Avenel Road and Green Street bridge in Wangaratta.

Inland Rail – which will run double-stacked freight trains via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland – will cut rail freight travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane to less than 24 hours.

Tranche Two, which will complete the Victorian section of Inland Rail, is already underway across eight sites between Benalla and Wandong.

Inland Rail CEO Nick Miller said opening the Wangaratta Station precinct marks a major milestone for the overall project.

“These significant achievements bring Inland Rail another step closer to running double-stacked freight trains from Victoria up to Parkes, NSW by 2027,” Miller said.

“The high numbers of local workers and businesses engaged in Victoria since construction started in 2023 is a terrific result and it’s something we want to replicate all the way to Brisbane.”