Major contract awarded for Inland Rail in southern New South Wales

A major contract has been awarded to Australian owned and operated company Martinus Rail for the enhancement of sections of Inland Rail in southern New South Wales.

The $403 million contract will deliver enhancements to sections of track between Albury and Illabo and Stockinbingal and Parkes to enable double-stacked trains to operate.

These vital works will cover design and construction services on the Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of the alignment, and will include upgrades to bridges and track lowering to create the required height and width clearances.

Station precincts in Albury, Wagga Wagga and Forbes will also be upgraded and a crossing loop will be constructed at Daroobalgie.

Construction work between Stockinbingal and Parkes is expected to commence in late-2023 followed by Albury and Illabo in mid-2024, once final environmental and planning approvals have been granted.

This work is in line with recommendations from the Inland Rail review to prioritise delivery of Inland Rail south of Parkes by 2027.

In awarding this contract, acting Board Chair of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), engaged an independent cost evaluator to review the proposed project and sought approval from the Ministers of Infrastructure and Finance. This new contract approval process is within scope of the least regrets work, as agreed by the Departments of Infrastructure and Finance, in line with recommendations from the Independent Review.

Inland Rail continues to provide opportunities for regional and broader Australia. For more information on becoming a supplier for Inland Rail construction work, please visit the Australian Rail Track Corporation suppliers page.