Inland Rail agreement lays tracks for Queensland's future
Inland Rail has taken a major step forward with the Australian and Queensland governments signing a ground-breaking Bilateral Agreement. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Minister Mark Bailey signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments at a ceremony held at the Toowoomba Town Hall on Friday 29 November 2019.
Queensland is set to benefit significantly from Inland Rail with two thirds of the total investment to be delivered in the state. This will provide for over 7,000 jobs and a long-term boost of over $7 billion for the state economy. Of the 13 individual projects that make up Inland Rail, five are located in Queensland:
- Border to Gowrie
- Gowrie to Helidon
- Helidon to Calvert
- Calvert to Kagaru
- Kagaru to Acacia Ridge/Bromleton
Hear more about the benefits for Queensland in this short video as told by Queenslanders.
Over the forward years the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will upgrade and lay new track in Queensland spanning approximately 400km of the total Inland Rail alignment.
In addition to boosting the Queensland economy, the signing of the Bilateral Agreement is a crucial step in delivering an efficient future freight network that will benefit the entire country– connecting communities, creating jobs, reducing supply chain costs and making Australian business more competitive.
The agreement reached with the Australian Government also cements protections for Queensland residents and communities throughout the delivery of Inland Rail. In addition to the expert hydrologists already engaged by the ARTC, an expert panel of international specialists will be established to advise on best practice flood structural integrity and report back to the Queensland and Australian Governments.
For more information on the bilateral agreement see the Deputy Prime Minister's media release.