Round two of the Inland Rail Interface Improvement Program opens 17 August

Expressions of interest for the second round of the Inland Rail Interface Improvement Program (II Program) will open on Monday 17 August and close on Friday 18 September 2020.

We are interested to hear from supply chain managers, producers, local and state governments, local businesses, community representatives and freight and train operators.

The II Program supports the development of ideas for more productive rail-based supply chains and improvements to capacity on key country rail lines that intersect with Inland Rail.

Project proposals for the II Program are assessed against their contribution to addressing principles under two streams:

• A $20 million Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) to assess the costs and benefits of proposed improvements to the interface between supply chains and Inland Rail.
• A $24 million Country Lines Improvement Program (CLIP) to assess the costs and benefits of proposed improvements to country lines that intersect with Inland Rail, with a view to potentially accommodating longer, heavier and faster trains.

Following the first round of the Program in 2019, 20 project ideas were found eligible and have proceeded to the next stage of the gateway assessment process. Successful proponents have been allocated specialist advisors to further develop their ideas into robust feasibility studies and business cases.

Interested parties are encouraged to read more about the information requirements and submit their project proposals to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications by 18 September 2020.