Inland Rail project timeline under threat: InterLinkSQ

THE Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project timeline is under threat, with a delay of at least two months.

FULL STEAM: John Dornbusch, Interlink SQ Chairman (left) and TRC Mayor Paul Antonio were both pleased with the Federal Government commitment to the inland rail network earlier in the year. . Picture: Nev Madsen

THE Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail project timeline is under threat, with a delay of at least two months and the finalisation of the rail corridor not expected until the first quarter of 2017.

InterLinkSQ chief executive officer Michelle Reynolds said it appeared the Australian Rail Track Cooperation (ARTC) was tasked with reviewing a number of deviations to the preferred Inland Rail alignment as a result of recent media and public debate around the route in Queensland.

"What many people may not know is that the clock started ticking for the 10-year implementation plan on July 1, 2014," she said.

"Construction of the Inland Rail through our region is set to commence in 2018 with connection to Toowoomba from the southern states by 2021/22, a full two years before the completion of Inland Rail through to Brisbane.

"Any delays now are significant, and could have ramifications for the on-time delivery of the full project in 2024."

One of the proposed routes put forward by ARTC.

Mrs Reynolds said she was now concerned about a further review of the alignment which moved the Inland Rail closer to the Wellcamp Airport precinct, one of the deviations set to be reviewed by ARTC.

"The time it will now take to reassess route alignments that have previously been analysed and extensively discounted on the basis of engineering, environmental, construction or operational factors will delay the project," she said.

"These delays will further strengthen the arguments of governments in southern states which are applying pressure to the Federal Government to support projects that are more generally accepted within the community in their states and jeopardise critical infrastructure for the economic growth of our state and region.

"Already, Queensland produce is exported through southern ports where the transport costs are currently very competitive or even lower than those through Queensland."

Mrs Reynolds said without a competitive rail network and above rail offering, this would continue to increase and Queensland would lose industry and jobs to southern states.

"In our region alone, our local businesses could miss out on $3 billion of construction work without Inland Rail," she said.

"The timing for Inland Rail is critical and delays impact all of us - we pay for inefficient transport costs in the goods we buy every day. In particular, it hits our region's exporters, who fight to remain internationally competitive."

This week the InterLinkSQ project confirmed the sale of its first blocks for developing a transport operation with interest in other blocks. 

Originally published as Inland Rail project timeline under threat: InterLinkSQ