Major construction begins on VIC section of Inland Rail

The Victorian section of the Inland Rail development has commenced major construction activities following a thorough planning, engagement and design process. 

This means construction on the 1,700-kilometre rail line is now underway in two of the three states that it traverses. 

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has marked the beginning of works with a community event in Glenrowan. 

Sod turning at Glenrowan (source: Inland Rail)

The State is expected to receive significant benefits from Inland Rail with freight efficiencies as well as investment opportunities that will boost Victoria’s potential output by $6 billion over the first five decades of Inland Rail operations. 

Victorian businesses are already benefitting from the rail project with 58 contracts valued at $269.1 million as of December 2022 committed towards services and supplies to build the Victorian section of Inland Rail. 

Inland Rail is being built along the existing North East Rail Line that was recently upgraded in 2021. For double stacked trains to pass through, the existing infrastructure at 12 sites must be upgraded. This includes site at: 

• 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 

Project map (source: Inland Rail)

McConnell Dowell has been appointed as contractor to undertake the first four projects at Seymour, Barnawartha North, Glenrowan and Wangaratta. Preliminary works are already underway and major construction is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. 

The remaining projects are still in the reference design stage. 

The Victorian section of Inland Rail will run from Tottenham to Albury, and it will upgrade 305 kilometres of existing rail between metropolitan Melbourne to the VIC-NSW border at Albury-Wodonga. 

Due to the complexity and scale of this section, works are going to be carried out in two phases. 

The first phase is from Beveridge to Albury, requiring works at 12 sites along the North East Rail Line. This phase is further divided into two parts or tranches. 

Works on Phase 2 are going to be delivered south of Beveridge. 

At peak construction period, the Victorian section of Inland Rail is anticipated to create more than 21,500 jobs. 

Inland Rail is Australia’s largest freight rail infrastructure project to date, and it will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. 

Source: Australian Rail Track Corporation - Inland Rail (1, 2); Roads & Infrastructure Australia