Road and rail crossings to be improved along NSW Inland Rail corridor

Works will soon commence to remove two railway level crossings as well as improve safety at key locations along the Inland Rail corridor near Parkes and Illabo in New South Wales. 

The Australian Government is investing $280 million towards this project, with the New South Wales Government committing $70 million. Funding from the Australian Government is part of a broader $450 million commitment to grade-separating Inland Rail interfaces with roads across the State. 

“We are working in partnership with the NSW Government to remove rail level crossings by building bridges to separate road and rail along the Inland Rail route in the State. 

“Australia’s investment in Inland Rail is critical to help us move more freight as our population grows. 

“Inland Rail can reduce our transport emissions and make our roads safer, and we are prioritising delivery of the sections between Beveridge and Parkes in line with our independent review of the project, which was handed down in mid-2023,” Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said. 

The works will not only improve road and rail safety, but it will also allow freight to be delivered faster and more reliably. 

The level crossings on the Newell Highway at Tichborne as well as on the Olympic Highway at Harris Gates will be removed and replaced using grade separation as either overpasses or underpasses. 

“This investment will improve safety at two key intersections on the Inland Rail route while realising the projects potential to expedite the movement of freight on our road and rail networks. 

“Crashes at level crossings have the potential to cause major trauma and even fatalities, which have devastating impacts on families and local communities. 

“By grade separating road and rail we will eliminate the potential of incident at these two locations while paving the way for faster freight movements and business benefits for regional NSW,” NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said. 

Geotechnical investigations, biodiversity studies and Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys will commence on 12 February at the Tichborne site and its surrounds. 

Works will be carried out on weekdays from 7am to 6pm until the end of March this year, weather permitting. Intermittent changed traffic conditions will be observed on the Newell Highway during this time, including stop/slow traffic movements. 

Meanwhile, similar works at the Tichborne site will be carried out at the Harris Gates intersection in the coming months. 

“The development of Inland Rail will be a boost for regional NSW, creating thousands of jobs and better connecting our cities, helping to move goods between Melbourne and Brisbane via inland NSW efficiently. 

“Once these works are complete, there will be capacity for double-stacked train movements up to 1.8 kilometres long. 

“Inland Rail is an investment in better connecting regional business, manufacturers and producers to national and global markets while enhancing national freight and supply chains networks,” Senator for NSW Deborah O’Niell said. 

Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; NSW Government – Media Releases; Transport for NSW; Roads & Infrastructure Australia; Infrastructure Magazine