Inland Rail

RPS is supporting a once-in-a-generation rail infrastructure project that will connect key Australian production regions to metropolitan centres and international export markets. 

Challenge

Inland Rail is a major freight network initiative that will connect Melbourne with Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The largest freight rail project of its kind in Australia, Inland Rail is expected to be operational by 2025, significantly reducing the time and cost of freight transport between Queensland and Victoria.

Working on Inland Rail works packages for a number of years, RPS has been engaged both directly by Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and as part of the Future Freight Joint Venture (JV) to provide spatial services and environmental advice.

Inland Rail train tracks through country Australia

Solution

With construction occurring across thousands of kilometres in three states, ensuring Inland Rail’s design teams understand environmental risks and are equipped to mitigate construction issues is vital. Our work has included detailed surveys of bridges and culverts, rail corridors, private properties, overhead utilities and waterways – information that is critical to the on time, on budget delivery of this landmark national project.

Examples of our work include the hydrogeology surveys we’ve completed for the Border to Gowrie section of the Inland Rail project in Queensland that are helping Inland Rail engineers mitigate the impact of flooding along the corridor, and the Survey Accurate Cadastral Model (SACM) our team created for a 300km corridor stretch between Narromine and Narrabri in New South Wales. Following a comprehensive analysis of existing survey plans for the proposed route and the condensing of this information into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format, our specialists have created a schedule of key cadastral monuments to be surveyed. This work will ensure spatially accurate design and delivery of tracks and corridor infrastructure as the Inland Rail project progresses.

With communications, safety and compliance key components in the success of any rail project, RPS teams have also had a key role to play in coordinating permits and corridor access across Council jurisdictions and private land holdings, while providing important advice on heritage, sustainability and resilience.

Project statistics

1,700 km
Total distance for this landmark freight rail project
$9.3 b
Committed by the Australian Government to the Inland Rail project

Get in touch

Your contact information:

All fields are mandatory *

Get in touch

Your contact information:

All fields are mandatory *