On track for Australia’s fast freight network
Construction is well underway on Australia’s largest freight rail infrastructure project.
The first of the 13 projects that comprise Inland Rail, the 103km Parkes to Narromine section, is already in operation and early works on the Narrabri to North Star section has begun.
Snapshot
Construction commenced:
2018
Construction completed:
2027 - please note the Program’s completion date is an indicative estimate and will be determined by a number of factors, including ongoing community consultation, design development work and unforeseen weather events.
Projects approaching construction:
11 of 13 projects
Projects under construction:
1 of 13 projects
Projects completed construction:
1 of 13 projects
Learn about how we’re building Inland Rail
Engineering excellence
Inland Rail’s sheer scale and complexity has attracted some of the world’s top rail engineering and infrastructure delivery experts.
Our team are delivering engineering solutions to cross the challenging Condamine and Macintyre floodplains, building the second-longest freight tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere, and constructing many viaducts; one of which is expected to be as tall as the shipping height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Managing our vital water resources
As large areas of regional Australia continue to experience prolonged drought periods, its vital that we ensure our use of water is sustainable.
Water will be essential to the construction of Inland Rail. We need water for:
- compacting earthworks
- suppressing dust on haul roads and other unsealed surfaces
- producing concrete when building bridges and culverts
- managing weeds
- washing down vehicles and other machinery
- landscaping or remediation
- drinking, cooking, cleaning and washing in accommodation camps and site offices
Our team has a Water Supply Strategy in place to identify potential water supply options while using innovative ways to reduce the amount of water we use. Our water strategy is based on three core priorities:
- Securing water to construct the project on time
- Saving water through innovation and careful management
- Leaving water infrastructure legacies
We are using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) rating scheme to hold ourselves accountable.
Our water conservation policy is to:
- avoid water consumption
- reduce water consumption by using water efficient equipment and processes
- re-use water without treatment where fit for purpose
- recycle/treat dirty and grey water where fit for purpose
- use potable water only where viable.
Project stages
Each of Inland Rail’s 13 projects has its own construction targets and timelines and will progress through our six project stages at its own pace.
