MEDIA STATEMENT
Dr Siri Gamage
Regional Rail Advocate – New England
Email: siri.gamage1951@gmail.com
Inland Rail Decision Must Trigger Northern Rail Revival – Not Corridor Destruction
The Australian Government’s recent decision on Inland Rail, led by Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, is a necessary reset—but it must not become a retreat from building a truly connected inland rail network.
If anything, the decision exposes a glaring gap: the absence of a long-term strategy for regional rail connectivity between northern New South Wales and Queensland.
That gap can and should be addressed through an urgent feasibility study into the reactivation of the Northern Railway Line from Werris Creek to Queensland —a corridor with the potential to carry both freight and passengers while strengthening inland supply chains.
At the same time, the recently released Draft State Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP) for New England North West has caused deep concern across our communities. The plan effectively rules out reactivation of the Northern Line and instead praises local council proposals to convert sections of the corridor into a rail trail.
Those proposals would require the removal of over 100 kilometres of existing rail infrastructure between Armidale and Glen Innes.
Let’s be clear:
Removing rail tracks is not transport planning—it is permanent asset destruction.
Once this corridor is dismantled, the cost of reinstating rail becomes prohibitive. Future generations will be locked out of opportunities for freight efficiency, passenger mobility, and regional growth.
This approach is out of step with global trends. Across Southeast Asia, governments are investing heavily in faster, integrated rail networks to drive economic development and reduce emissions. Meanwhile, New South Wales is allowing strategic rail corridors to be ripped up.
There are more than 3,000 kilometres of non-operational rail lines in NSW—a vast public asset base that remains largely ignored.
Funding priorities tell the story. In a $55 billion NSW budget, only around $1.25 billion is allocated to regional transport—and that includes roads. Victoria, by comparison, invests more than $4 billion in regional transport. The imbalance is stark, and regional communities are paying the price.
This lack of investment directly undermines national goals to shift freight from road to rail and reduce carbon emissions. You cannot achieve decarbonisation while simultaneously dismantling the very infrastructure needed to support it.
The current policy contradiction is untenable:
Governments say they support rail freight—but fail to invest in regional rail
They speak of sustainability—but allow rail corridors to be removed
They promote long-term planning—but endorse short-term conversions to rail trails
What is needed now is leadership.
We call on the Australian Government, in partnership with New South Wales, to:
Commission an urgent feasibility study into the Northern Railway Line
Place an immediate moratorium on removing regional rail infrastructure
Develop a national framework for regional rail revival, aligned with freight, climate, and regional development goals
The Inland Rail decision should be a turning point—not an excuse for further neglect of regional rail.
The choice is simple: preserve and plan for the future—or dismantle and regret it later.