MAJOR works on the Victorian section of the Inland Rail project have begun, according to a statement from the Australian Rail Track Corporation.

ARTC marked the occasion with a community event in Glenrowan, welcoming construction in Victoria after a planning, engagement and design process.

Inland Rail aims to connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

ARTC said Victoria is to benefit from Inland Rail, with freight efficiencies and investment opportunities expected to boost the state’s potential output by $6 billion over the first 50 years of operation.

Inland Rail interim chief executive Rebecca Pickering said Inland Rail is a “nation-building project” that supports jobs and economic opportunities in the regions while improving Australia’s freight network.

“Over the next four years, Inland Rail is set to deliver vital local stimulus and support hundreds of Victorian jobs,” she said.

“ARTC remains committed to meaningful and respectful consultation with the communities along the alignment as we continue through delivery activities for these sites. We acknowledge the construction activity will disrupt local communities close to our projects and we thank them for their patience and understanding as we deliver this important project.”

Inland Rail follows along the existing North East Rail Line that was upgraded in 2021. To enable double-stacked container trains ARTC must upgrade existing infrastructure at 12 sites:

  • Broadford-Wandong Road bridge, Wandong
  • Hamilton Street bridge, Broadford
  • Short Street bridge, Broadford
  • Marchbanks Road bridge, Broadford
  • Hume Highway bridge, Tallarook
  • Seymour-Avenel Road bridge, Seymour
  • Hume Highway bridge, Seymour
  • Anderson Street bridge, Euroa
  • Benalla Station Approach Road, Benalla
  • Beaconsfield Parade bridge, Glenrowan
  • Wangaratta Station Precinct, Wangaratta
  • Murray Valley Highway, Barnawartha North

McConnell Dowell, the appointed contractor on the first four projects at Seymour, Barnawartha North, Glenrowan and Wangaratta, has commenced preliminary site works and will move into major construction in coming weeks. The remaining projects are currently in the reference design stage.

Inland Rail has already completed the Parkes to Narromine section in New South Wales with major construction works also underway on the Narrabri to North Star section in the state.