Works and planning

The final proposed rail alignment for the Narromine to Narrabri section builds on 15 years of engineering and environmental investigations by some of Australia’s most trusted consultants, robust community engagement and constant design refinements.

With primary regulatory approvals now in place, Inland Rail will commence preparation of the environmental and social management plans, permits and licenses, which are required before any major construction can start.

Low impact pre-construction activities, approved by the New South Wales Government in 2023 will continue in 2024. These include service utility relocations and site investigations, such as geotechnical surveys, to better understand ground conditions.

We will also continue acquiring land needed for the Inland Rail corridor and refining the construction scope and detailed design to provide greater certainty on N2N project’s cost and schedule.

Once we have completed this work and can demonstrate a robust cost estimate to the Australian Government, we will seek agreement to release construction packages for tender to the market.

Building Inland Rail’s longest stretch of new rail corridor will involve millions of cubic meters of earthworks for new embankments, the installation of thousands of culverts, road realignments and utility relocations. The current design features 12 active and 51 passive level crossings, 75 new bridges and viaducts and seven crossing loops, each up to 2.2km long.

View the final route and leave your feedback on our interactive map.

Project fly-throughs

Get a bird’s-eye view of part of the Narromine to Narrabri section of Inland Rail.

The four Narromine to Narrabri fly-through videos include the proposed rail alignment, bridges, cuttings and embankments, and public crossings.

Please note that the reference design may change as a result of further investigations, government approvals, or during the detailed design phase.

Details on fencing, maintenance access roads or potential changes to level crossings are not included in the fly-through videos.

Narromine to Narrabri fly-through #1

Narwonah Siding Road, Narromine to Bardens Road, Curban

Narromine to Narrabri fly-through #2

Bardens Road, Curban to Manai Road, Baradine

Narromine to Narrabri fly-through #3

Manai Road, Baradine to Dog Proof Fence Road, The Pilliga

Narromine to Narrabri fly-through #4

Dog Proof Fence Road, The Pilliga to Newell Highway, Narrabri

Visualisations

Check out some visualisations of the Narromine to Narrabri alignment.

These images are illustrative and not to scale. They are based on the reference design and may change as a result of further investigations, government approvals or during the detailed design stage of the project.

Macquarie River, Narromine

View looking west.

Macquarie River Bridge Macquarie River Bridge

The Island Road, Narrabri

View looking north-east over The Island Road and Narrabri Creek.

The Island Road and Narrabri Viaduct The Island Road and Narrabri Viaduct

Pilliga Forest, Baradine

View looking north over the forest and Cumbil Road.

Cumbil Road and Pilliga Forest Cumbil Road and Pilliga Forest

Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri

View looking South East over the Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri.

View looking South East over the Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri Illustration of a view looking South East over the Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri

Narromine to Narrabri Options Report

This Options Report summarises the process, inputs and decisions made by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to assess alternative options and identify the Study Area for the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail (Inland Rail) between Narromine and Narrabri.

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