Works carried out at Junee’s Kemp Street Bridge. Photo: Inland Rail.
Major Inland Rail works have continued in Wagga and Junee, despite the project now being dubbed a “train to nowhere” after the planned route to Brisbane was substantially cut back.
Crews removed the footings of the former Cassidy Footbridge and completed drainage and concrete works around the Edmondson Street and Pearson Street bridges during a 96-hour closure of the railway between Cootamundra and Albury from 11 to 15 September.
Crews also completed level crossing upgrades at Yerong Creek and Illabo, along with track, signalling, drainage, earthworks and culvert work between Junee and Illabo.
In Junee, 15 bridge girders weighing up to 48 tonnes each were lifted into place for the new Kemp Street road-over-rail bridge using a 650-tonne crane.
Inland Rail is the planned 1600-kilometre freight route that was originally intended to link Melbourne and Brisbane through regional Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
The idea was to upgrade about 1000 km of existing track and build 600 km of new railway so longer, double-stacked freight trains could carry more goods through the regions – enabling farmers and manufacturers to get their produce to ports quicker and more efficiently.
But the project has since been dramatically scaled back.
The Federal Government announced in May it would prioritise Inland Rail between Beveridge, north of Melbourne, and Parkes – effectively leaving the much-hyped Melbourne-to-Brisbane railway about 1000 kilometres short of its destination, with the route north of Parkes shelved indefinitely.
The result is a rather awkward version of Inland Rail: a multi-billion-dollar railway being upgraded through Wagga that, under the government’s current plan, won’t actually carry freight all the way to Brisbane.
Critics claim this means Wagga will experience all the pain of Inland Rail disruptions without the promised benefits.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation chief executive Jo Sheppard has dubbed the project the “train to nowhere”.
Supporters of the project say Inland Rail is upgrading ageing Wagga and Junee infrastructure that probably should have been upgraded years ago.
Inland Rail began as a roughly $10 billion project that became bogged down by route changes, delays and cost blowouts. The estimated price quickly ballooned to more than $45 billion.
The project’s chief executive Sean Sweeney remains optimistic, and said the latest closure allowed crews to complete a “substantial package of works” across the Albury to Illabo section.
“The final installation of all 16 girders for the new Kemp Street bridge was a significant milestone,” he said.
Martinus general manager of projects Gavin Murphy said it had taken “a big effort” from crews and Inland Rail to complete the work during the 96-hour window.
He also thanked communities in Wagga, Junee, Albury and elsewhere along the alignment for their patience.
