THE NEW South Wales State Government has greenlit the development of a new strategy that intends to develop the state’s regional rail network.
The government announced the establishment of the Regional Network East/West Uplift (RNEW) program in order to create a 10-year investment pipeline to develop better regional rail for both passengers and freight.
The government said the RNEW program will take a “fresh look” at where regional rail infrastructure investment is needed, aiming to give industry, the Government, and the public a clear vision for the future of the network.
The RNEW Program will aim to ensure the NSW Government better understands, manages, forecasts and delivers upgrades to regional rail network.
The program will also have a key focus on opportunities to improve the Country Regional Network (CRN) which includes over 2300 kilometres of operational rail lines, vital for transporting 2.7 billion gross tonnes of freight annually and more than 120 passenger services per week.
The state government also said linkages between the broader regional rail network and existing projects such as Inland Rail, the Freight Policy Reform, and Regional Level Crossing programs will be explored by the program team, with potential efficiency improvements to be identified and considered.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said the state government is committed to providing rail networks across NSW that are effective, efficient, and reliable for all users, both freight and passengers.
“The RNEW Program will allow us to better understand, manage, forecast, and deliver improvements on the state’s regional rail network, bringing projects under one banner to ensure a holistic and strategic approach,” MP Aitchison said.
“Regional communities have been calling for investment in rail infrastructure in the regions. This program will ensure any investment is made on the basis of robust planning and development to enrich our state.
“The program will enable the NSW Government to develop a long-term pipeline of infrastructure investment initiatives whilst being flexible and agile enough to address emerging network issues.”
Once developed, the government expects the final investment strategy will complement regional integrated transport plans being developed across the nine regional areas in the state.
The RNEW program team will commence engagement with freight industry, rail operators and users, and local government beginning in 2025, with the final strategy to be delivered in 2026.
