Good news for all the grey nomads annoyed by the growing volume of traffic on the east coast’s highways and byways … a massive new inland railway is being built to make things better.
However, it will still be a few years yet before the route linking Melbourne to Brisbane is completed.
So far, around 17% of the 1,600kms line has been completed, with the Parkes to Narromine section finished, and major construction works on the Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 project also finished.
Comprising 12 sections, Inland Rail involves upgrades or enhancement works to approximately 1,000km of existing track, and construction of 600km of new track passing through regional Victoria, NSW, and Queensland.
Work in progress to install rails at Daroobalgie PIC: Inland Rail
Inland Rail is currently constructing right across the Beveridge to Albury section in Victoria, and in the Stockinbingal to Parkes section in NSW. The entire Beveridge to Parkes section should be finished by 2027.
In Queensland, Inland Rail continues to progress its Environmental Impact Statement for the border to Gowrie section, and work continues on progressing the other sections in the state.
The chief benefit of Inland Rail will be taking trucks off the main Sydney-Brisbane-Melbourne coastal roads, by moving some of that freight over to rail. Inland Rail will also help to take road freight off the other north-south routes such as the Newell Highway and the New England Highway, as well as the smaller country roads.
An Inland Rail representative told the Grey Nomads that around four billion tonnes of freight is currently moved across Australia annually, representing around 163 tonnes of freight for every person.
“With 1,800m long double-stacked trains travelling at speeds of up to 115km/h, each train using Inland Rail is designed to carry the equivalent freight volume of 110 B-double trucks, reducing congestion and creating capacity for our major east coast highways and regional roads,” the representative said. “Inland Rail will cut rail freight travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane by almost a third, from 33 hours to less than 24 hours, making it competitive with road.”
Grey Nomad Members are being given the opportunity to win one of two double Gold Passes the spectacular Barrington Coast Airshow which will bring the skies over the NSW town of Taree to thrilling life on Saturday, November 9.
Each Double Gold Pass is worth $300
Click here to find out more about GN membership, the prize, and how to enter.
Members: If you wish to enter, please click here.
A single rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane would not be able to carry anywhere near as much freight as the trucks on major highways.
It won’t make any difference to the grey nomad experience, besides, trucks are a higher priority than retirees wandering around the countryside on a permanent holiday.
A vast country like ours should make better use of our rail system.
Both rail and road transport are important. Having a better rail system for freight will I hope improve safety and wages for truckies as it takes pressure of them