REGISTER

Bill Palazzi BEng (Elec) Hons, CEng, MIRSE

Rail Section Executive, Australia-Pacific, Parsons Brinckerhoff

study to determine the economic benefits and likely success of a new multi-billion dollar standard gauge inland railway between Melbourne and Brisbane.

At present, the only north-south rail corridor in eastern Australia runs along the coastline via Sydney. A view has been held by various parties that an inland route through the Central West of NSW has the potential to slash the time it takes to move freight from Melbourne to Brisbane by rail. This would then improve the competitive position of rail transport on this corridor, resulting in a shift of freight from road to rail.

This paper has set out the work thus far on the Inland Rail Alignment Study. An overview is provided of the study to date, including the technical and financial/economic aspects, and outlines some of the key considerations and issues.

Through a robust and thorough process, the study team has analysed a significant number of different alignments,  representing over 50,000 different alternatives between Melbourne and Brisbane, to select two options that represent the most promising alignments. These two options are currently being analysed and refined to determine, in conjunction with the economic and financial analysis, the optimum alignment for the corridor.

The final report of the study team will be submitted to the Federal Government in December 2009 and is likely to be published in early 2010.