THE North East rail line will have to cope with a greater freight load in the future as the federal government moves ahead with its $300 million Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project.
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More than half the budget will be spent building links from Toowomba to Brisbane, while the existing Melbourne to Albury line is likely to receive no further upgrades other than current, ongoing repairs.
Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss yesterday touted the project as “a nation-changing project” while chair of the Inland Rail Implementation Group, former deputy prime minister John Anderson, likened it to “a modern-day Snowy Mountain scheme” in its size, scope and cost.
The government has pledged $300 million to the project, which will see the line traverse central NSW via Parkes to Narrabri, then on to Queensland and Oakey, Toowoomba and Brisbane.
Mr Truss yesterday pledged a further $29 million to complete a business case for the project, plan final routes and cover engineering issues in NSW and southern Queensland.
Development of the inland rail route is potentially good news for the Ettamogah Rail Hub and future Logic hub, with the line passing by both sites.
Mr Truss said there was about another year’s work to combat mud holes.
