It’s time to celebrate as the first greenfield section of Inland Rail track is completed!

Today, Minister Michael McCormack and Minister Mark Coulton officially opened the North West Connection, the first completed section of greenfield track along the Parkes to Narromine alignment.

The North West Connection goes from Coopers Road to Henry Parkes Way in Parkes and north of Brolgan Road, Goonumbla. Check out the map of the North West Connection and how it links into the broader Inland Rail alignment.

The completion of this part of new track now joins Inland Rail to the East West (Broken Hill) line. This significant milestone represents the first of many enhancements to the national freight rail network, connecting Inland Rail to the Interstate railway line (East-West) between Sydney and Perth. Construction was undertaken by ARTC’s construction contractor, INLink who has reported significant local employment outcomes with more than 280 local residents contributing to the project to date.  

Trains are set to run as early as September 2019 carrying regional products from areas around Parkes to Sydney, Newcastle and across to Perth, marking the first operational section of Inland Rail. Construction and upgrades to the remaining track from Parkes to Narromine will continue until late 2020.