Inland Rail Project

cancelled (north of parkes) / ongoing (south of parkes)

The Inland Rail project is a proposed 1600-kilometre freight corridor capable of running 1.8-kilometre-long, double-stacked trains between Melbourne and Brisbane. The project was planned to be a nation-building freight corridor but has been halted at Parkes, New South Wales, with the northern legs shelved. The only completed work will largely comprise upgrades to existing tracks south of Parkes. The northern 600-kilometre stretch into Queensland requires extensive greenfield construction, land acquisition, and environmental approvals. The project was initially funded in the 2017-18 federal budget and has faced cost overruns and planning setbacks.