Rail company Aurizon is fighting to make its ambitious land-bridge scheme to move goods from the Top End around Australia commercially viable, but as the economy weakens, scepticism abounds over whether the haulage group can deliver on the bold plan.

The transport company has grand ambitions of railing goods up and down the 2245-kilometre Darwin-Tarcoola railway through the centre of Australia using assets acquired in its 2021 acquisition of freight rail group One Rail. Aurizon says it is in “regular” talks with potential customers.