Construction of the 1600-kilometre rail link is progressing but the government-owned agency building it still doesn’t have a clear view on its ultimate cost and finish date.
Already a subscriber?Almost one-fifth of the $31 billion Inland Rail network from Melbourne to Brisbane is now complete, but the government-owned agency building the 1600-kilometre project still does not have a clear view on the ultimate cost and finish date.
Rail networks around Australia need more funding so trains can move easily between states and recover quickly from flooding, CEOs say.“Our approvals in NSW are progressing well, we have already received state and federal approvals for the Narromine to Narrabri section,” Mr Miller said. Chief executives of private companies are frustrated with the slow progress of Inland Rail and the development of other rail networks.“Australia has historically been in the slow lane when it comes to rail, with network policies and regulation putting the handbrake on innovation,” said Paul Scurrah, chief executive of rail haulage group Pacific National.
“Almost three decades since the nation was connected by standard gauge , traversing jurisdictions remains less than optimal – with different operational rules and rolling stock requirements, which do not support the best productivity and safety outcomes,” he said. The Australasian Railway Association, which is holding a rail freight conference in Sydney on Tuesday, wants national regulations so that trains can compete more effectively with trucks.Georgia Nicholls, the ARA’s rail freight general manager, said the poor reliability and frequency of rail transport were more concerning than the cost for companies choosing between trains and trucks.
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