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.
Since the first sod was turned on 13 December 2018, construction of the 98km Parkes to Narromine section has seen more than 66 local businesses in the area s
The work builds on the pilot study delivered by CSIRO earlier this year, to map supply chain movements in and around Parkes to Narromine and model the potential cost savings available with Inland Rail.
An additional $64 million was committed in Budget 2019-20 to improve connections to Inland Rail and to look at opportunities for intermodal terminals in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Our population is concentrated along the coast, supported and enriched by inland communities at the heart of Australia’s agricultural production and resources.
Currently 74 per cent of freight between Melbourne and Brisbane is carried by road and Australia’s freight volumes are expected to double within 20 years – rail will play a crucial role in meeting the freight challenge.
