Albanese government abandons beleaguered inland rail project connecting NSW with Queensland
Summary
The Albanese government will reduce the size of the inland rail project, cutting the planned rail line between New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland due to rising costs now above $45 billion. Instead, the project will only connect areas near Melbourne to Parkes in NSW, while some funds will be redirected to other rail upgrades.Key Facts
- The inland rail was originally planned to run 1,700 km from Melbourne to near Brisbane.
- The project cost has increased from $9.3 billion in 2017 to over $45 billion now.
- The scaled-back plan will only build the rail line between Beveridge (near Melbourne) and Parkes (in NSW).
- The government will redirect $1.75 billion toward other national rail upgrade projects.
- Independent reviews found design and approval delays and underestimated costs.
- Construction between Beveridge and Parkes is expected to finish by late 2027.
- The project was initially expected to be done by 2026-27 but may now take until 2036.
- New leadership has been appointed to Inland Rail after criticism of the project’s management.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.