Inland Rail has demolished the Edmondson Street Bridge in Wagga, causing traffic disruptions. Photo: Inland Rail.
Businessmen who pushed for an alternative Inland Rail route through the Riverina “food bowl” say their proposal would have been cheaper, faster and completed in full.
Their comments come as the Federal Government has effectively abandoned the original Melbourne-to-Brisbane freight rail vision, confirming the line will now stop at Parkes after projected costs blew out to more than $45 billion.
In 2015, Brisbane-based private consortium National Trunk Rail (NTR) proposed a $13 billion freight route linking Melbourne and Brisbane via Shepparton, Tocumwal and Narrandera.
NTR argued the alignment was a “flatter, faster, more efficient” route that passed directly through major food-producing regions, making it more accessible for farmers in Griffith, Leeton, Hay and Hillston.
However, the then Coalition government instead backed the publicly-owned Australian Rail Track Corporation’s (ARTC) route via Albury and Wagga Wagga, which at the time was expected to cost about $10 billion.
Almost a decade later, the projected cost of Inland Rail has increased more than fourfold, despite the Queensland section – one of the most expensive parts of the project – never being built. Independent reviews have blamed poor planning, approval delays and design changes for the blowouts.
Former NTR chairman Martin Albrecht said the outcome was predictable.
“Governments are the wrong people to implement these sorts of projects,” he said.
“Our figures are still on record. We maintain that we could have built the whole thing for $13 billion.
“It should not cost $45 billion if you build the right line and have the right accountability.
“They chose [the Wagga route] on the pretext that they had existing railway lines, so we’ll use that, but that line was not fit for purpose and is not built in the right location.”
Griffith businessman Paul Pierotti, who also advocated for the food bowl route, agreed.
“I saw the original costings for it. It would have worked,” he said.
“It was a straighter, flatter, shorter route.
“Going through Albury and Wagga requires so much infrastructure, as you’re using a passenger route.
“They thought Inland Rail would be a great economic generator for Wagga, but I don’t see how having it go through the city and delaying traffic helps the economy.”
Independent Wagga MP Joe McGirr has long warned the current Inland Rail alignment could divide the city in two, with concerns about traffic congestion, ambulance delays near Wagga Base Hospital and the impact of dozens of double-stacked freight trains moving through the CBD each day.
In response to community backlash, the Albanese Government pledged $30 million in 2025 to study a future freight rail bypass around Wagga. But with Inland Rail now expected to stop at Parkes, locals fear the bypass may never eventuate – leaving Wagga to endure years of disruption without receiving the promised long-term benefits.
Mr Albrecht said the Riverina alignment would have made more sense economically because it directly serviced major agricultural regions rather than following ageing passenger rail corridors.
“It’s a no-brainer that it would’ve been the right route and it could’ve saved a hell of a lot of money,” he said.
The Federal Government now plans to complete only the section between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes by 2027, allowing double-stacked freight trains to connect with existing lines to other parts of the country.
