Inland Rail reaches Toowoomba region as construction advances on Queensland sections

Construction of the Inland Rail project has reached the Toowoomba region, with earthworks and track preparation underway on the Gowrie to Helidon section that will ultimately connect the Darling Downs agricultural heartland to the 1,700-kilometre Melbourne-to-Brisbane rail corridor for the first time.

The Inland Rail, developed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation with $10 billion in federal funding, will provide Toowoomba-based freight customers with a direct rail connection to Melbourne that the corporation projects will cut transit times from the current 32 hours by road to approximately two hours by rail to Brisbane for onward connection, or direct to Melbourne in 28 hours — a significant improvement in both speed and reliability compared with the existing congested highway network.

ARTC chief executive Eddie McEvoy said the Darling Downs was the highest-density freight corridor on the project, reflecting the enormous agricultural output of the region. Grain, cotton, dairy products, and manufactured goods from the Toowoomba industrial estate are expected to be the primary commodities shifting to rail once the service commences.

Toowoomba Regional Council mayor Paul Antonio said the Inland Rail would transform the economic position of the Darling Downs in the national supply chain. "We produce food and fibre for the nation and the world. Getting it to port faster and more reliably means more income for our farmers and more competitiveness for our industries," he said.

The first train movements on the Queensland sections are projected for 2027, with full service across the complete Melbourne-to-Brisbane corridor targeted for 2030.

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