Inland Rail Supply Chain Mapping finds significant transport savings

A Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Inland Rail Supply Chain Mapping Report, has found that a shift to Inland Rail could cut annual transport costs by up to $213 million, providing benefits across 22 million tonnes of freight. This would be a huge saving for Australian businesses and industries.

Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce was joined by the Member for Parkes, the Hon Mark Coulton, Mayor of Narrabri Shire Council, Cr Ron Campbell, and Australian Rail Track Corporation Inland Rail Interim Chief Executive, Rebecca Pickering in Narrabri to announce the findings that covers more than 12,000 supply chains and 94 commodities, including coal, steel, grains, vehicles, horticulture and livestock.

Using their Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT), CSIRO has found that businesses relying on road-based supply chains would benefit most from switching to Inland Rail, with an average saving of $80.77 per payload tonne in transport costs.

The project also identified that Inland Rail has the potential to deliver transport cost savings of $149.4 million for intermodal freight across the eastern Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. 

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said, ‘Inland Rail gives us the greatest opportunity for boosting economic development in regional areas, which is why we are delivering the project as quickly as possible.

‘With the enhancements that Inland Rail will bring to our national freight network, these savings will be felt by supply chains reaching as far west as Perth and all the way down to Tasmania.’

Once fully operational, Inland Rail will take 200,000 trucks off the road each year, or 150 B-doubles for each train travelling between Melbourne and Brisbane.

Read the CSIRO Inland Rail Supply Chain Mapping key findings report and find out more about the Project.