May 6, 2026
Farmers Seek Answers After Labor Scales Back Inland Rail Project
The 1,700-kilometre freight rail line connecting Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland will now be scaled back to just 800 kilometres due to cost blowouts.
TL;DR
- The NSW Farmers Federation is requesting answers from the federal government.
- The Inland Rail project, intended to connect Brisbane and Melbourne, has been significantly reduced in scope.
- The original 1,700 km route through Queensland, NSW, and Victoria is now an 800 km line from Beveridge, Victoria, to Parkes, NSW.
- The project aimed to speed up freight, shift cargo to rail, and lower transport costs.
- Project costs escalated from an initial $4.7 billion to $14.3 billion.