THE NEW South Wales Government has announced the approval of the Illabo to Stockinbingal section of the Inland Rail project.

The section was approved by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, with the project designated Critical State Significant Infrastructure, meaning its construction is deemed to be essential to the state’s economy and society.

The Inland Rail will stretch 1600 kilometres, connecting Melbourne to Brisbane with a freight rail line via regional Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.

The Government said that following the approval the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is closer to beginning construction on the section in late 2024.

The ARTC will construct up to 39 kilometres of single-track railway for the double-stacked freight trains which will travel through the south western slopes of the Riverina.

The Illabo to Stockinbingal connection is one of seven sections traversing inland NSW, and the new section will connect to the IRP’s Albury to Illabo proposal in the south and the Stockinbingal to Parkes proposal in the north.

The Inland Rail line will include a crossing loop at Bethungra and connect with the Stockinbingal to Parkes and Lake Cargelligo lines so that goods can also travel along the Main Southern Railway from Sydney to Albury.

The NSW Government expects the project to create up to 400 jobs to build the new track, bridges and level crossings along the newly approved section, with upgrades to a further 3.5 kilometres of existing train track for necessary integration works to the main rail line at Illabo.

The project will also involve the construction of infrastructure for communications, drainage, signage, fencing, and temporary worker’s accommodation.

Planning and Public Spaces minister Paul Scully said each section of the IRP is a valuable link in the chain of this important national infrastructure.

“Inland Rail needs the cooperation of the three states it spans so it is great to see regional NSW leading the charge with this approval,” Mr Scully said.

“Inland Rail promises to be a game changer for inland communities across rural NSW. Once complete, we will be able to move goods much more efficiently to both Melbourne and Brisbane.”

Member of the legislative council for Cootamundra, Stephen Lawrence said, “The nearby Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of the (IRP) have injected more than $4.2 million into the local economy with many businesses receiving a timely economic boost during a cost-of-living crisis.”

The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will now review the NSW government approval assessment and the Minister for the Environment and Water will determine the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

If approved by the federal government, work is expected to begin later this year and be completed in 2027.