Spokesperson, Kirsty O’Connell, said Inland Rail had now concluded the business case, adding the line would be a significant nation-building project.

“In conjunction with Australian Rail Track Cooperation (ARTC) and Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Inland Rail are currently assessing costs and analysing the project,” Mrs O’Connell said.

“This service will take $10 a tonne off freight costs, making it more competitive.”

The developments for Moree include:

• Appointments of GHD for the Narrabri to North Star project

• Appointment of the panel of providers for community engagement

• Landowner engagement

• A potential bypass east of Moree to improve community safety

Mrs O’Connell said Inland Rail was considering bypassing the town through crown land and an old stock route, although no investigation into the area had been undertaken.

“Additionally, GHD will undertake preliminary investigations on the feasibility for the eastern bypass of the Moree town centre suggested by Moree Plains Shire Council during a recent technical workshop. While no decisions have been made regarding the suggested bypass, it is being actively considered,” Mrs O’Connell said.

Mayor, Katina Humphries said there was still a lot to be done.

“Nothing is set in stone, but council have been supportive for the Inland Rail all along and will remain to do so,” councillor Humphries said. “This service will get the produce from farm to port. This will be a cheaper and quicker option for farmers and transport companies,” she said.

Executive projects manager, John Carleton, said he considered the project as being critical in easing the ever increasing freight burden and relieving pressure on road networks.

“In the years ahead, the nation’s freight movements are anticipated to double and the Inland Rail will provide a viable alternative to road transportation, sharing the freight burden across both road and rail infrastructure,” Mr Carleton said.

“This will not only bolster MPSC’s capacity to maintain our sealed and unsealed road network but also greatly improve road safety. This infrastructure will also contribute to the diversification of our region’s economic base and we anticipate this will provide a platform to attract further investment to the region and generate greater employment opportunities both during and after construction.”

The short-term goals for the Inland Rail are to finalise the last details in the business case, prepare a submission for Infrastructure Australia if directed, consult around alignment refinement, field studies in NSW to develop the priority consultation project, and potential early construction works.

The core service offering of the rail will include 1800m freight trains with the potential for an ultimate 3600m. 

This service offering will see Inland Rail deliver a road-competitive service for freight customers between Melbourne and Brisbane, taking about 10 hours off the existing transit time to achieve a total transit time of less than 24 hours.

“Inland Rail will achieve 98 per cent reliability and will provide competitive outcomes on pricing,” Mrs O’Connell said.  

“Work undertaken to date shows that it could reduce transport costs by $10 per tonne, tackling one of the single largest supply chain costs for the farming sector.”

The freight trains will have a clearance of 7.2m allowing double stacking and will have an axle load of 21-tonne travelling at 115km/h with the expansion to 30 tonnes travelling at 80km/h.

“This section of Inland Rail involves a major upgrade of the existing rail line between Narrabri and North Star,” Mrs O’Connell said. 

“While the alignment is well defined, ARTC realises the importance of community engagement and has proactively engaged with the Moree Plains Shire Council and other local stakeholders to better understand local issues and opportunities related to Inland Rail.

“ARTC has conducted a detailed technical workshop with council staff, gaining access to important local knowledge on issues such as flood management. The dialogue with council is ongoing and last week’s briefing was part of that regular communication.

“In addition to this early engagement, the local community will be asked to provide input to the project as part of the formal environmental approvals process.”

The ARTC has been tasked with developing a 10-year program to deliver the project, under the guidance of the Inland Rail Implementation Group. 

ARTC is a member of this group which is chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, AO with representatives of the Australian, New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian Governments.