Australia’s first railways were built in the 1850s, prior to federation, and were unfortunately developed independently from each other using three different rail gauges (broad, standard and narrow). Although the mainland state capital cities (except Darwin) were eventually linked with a standard gauge railway system in 1995, standardisation and congestion of the existing coastal route have proved to be ever-present problems.

The concept of a standardised inland alignment dates back to 1889 when Henry Parkes described his vision to connect South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland by rail, primarily to move troops around the country. 100 years later, Everald Compton envisaged a railway to link primary producers with ports that would run from Melbourne to Toowoomba then to Gladstone, Emerald, Cloncurry and Darwin.

Another 30 years on, the latest iteration of Inland Rail is derived from the 2006 North-South Corridor Study. So, what is it, why do we need it, and when will it be finished?

What is Inland Rail

Inland Rail will link Melbourne and Brisbane via a combination of new and upgraded track running through regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The total length of the alignment is 1,700km with approximately 600km of that requiring greenfield track construction.

Lightweight Intermodal Refrigerated Containers

The Australian Government is delivering Inland Rail through the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), in partnership with the private sector. The Australian Government has committed to $14.5bn in project funding, however, cost predictions are now closer to $20bn.

Key features of Inland Rail:

• Provides a consistent standard gauge connection from Melbourne to Brisbane
• Accommodates double-stacked trains up to 1800m long
• Track is designed for a 21tonne axle load and a maximum speed of 115km/h
• Reduces transit time on the Melbourne/Brisbane route to 24 hours.

Benefits to Transport and Logistics Companies

There are many potential benefits for Transport and Logistics companies, but the most obvious is a reduction in transport costs. For existing rail users, it is estimated the costs for freight travelling between Melbourne and Brisbane could be reduced by $10 per payload tonne.

For transport companies willing to shift freight from road to Inland Rail, modelling by the CSIRO forecasts an average unit transport cost reduction of $81 per payload tonne.

Aside from cost considerations, historically, one of the major impediments to modal-shift has been a lack of resilience in the rail network, where adverse weather conditions have been known to cause washouts resulting in prolonged track closures and disgruntled customers. Inland Rail is set to significantly improve network resilience, with ARTC targeting 98% reliability.

Railbox can provide free expert advice to assist Transport and Logistics companies with medium-term planning and to ensure they are well-positioned to benefit from Inland Rail in the years ahead.

Benefits to Road Users

Freight volumes on Australia’s east coast are forecast to double by 2050, and the existing road and rail networks will not cope with the increased volumes without significant investment. In fact, 74% of all inter-capital freight between Brisbane and Melbourne is currently carried by road and if the size and number of trucks on our highways is increased accordingly, it will have significant safety, environmental and community consequences.

One train on Inland Rail can carry the equivalent freight volume of 110 B-double trucks. The impact this could have in reducing road congestion on some of Australia’s busiest highways, including the Ipswich Motorway, and the Hume, Newell and Warrego Highways is significant.

The injuries to drivers and passengers involved in heavy vehicle crashes are very serious and often fatal. If the forecast mode shift from road to rail eventuates, there will be significant improvements to road safety across Australia.

Benefits to the Environment

Moving freight by rail is four times more fuel efficient than moving freight by road. The ARTC predicts that Inland Rail will cut carbon emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year from 2050.

Construction Progress

Due to the scale and complexity of the project, Inland Rail has been broken down into 13 individual sub-projects. This permits each sub-project to progress through the six defined phases at its own pace. ARTC currently estimates that construction will be complete in 2027; however, based on progress to date, this is looking increasingly unlikely.