Has Queensland’s Inland Rail been saved?

Australia’s Inland Rail project is back in the headlines, with a private-sector proposal now aiming to revive the Queensland extension.

In May, the Federal Government confirmed it would no longer fund the northern section beyond Parkes, and now a new plan backed by GreenLink Australia has emerged, suggesting the corridor could still be completed through private investment and extended to the Port of Gladstone.

The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port.

Where things currently stand

The government scaled back the Inland Rail to focus on delivering the southern and central sections only.

The current scope will see the line completed between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales. This section remains a key freight spine, designed to improve east–west freight movement and support double-stacked freight services.

The Queensland extension was effectively shelved following escalating cost estimates and concerns around delivery timelines pushing well beyond 2036.

What’s changed

The latest development introduces a private-sector solution to reinstating the QLD section.

GreenLink Australia, led by Inland Rail ‘founding father’ Everald Compton AO, has held discussions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King about a revised model that could extend freight rail north from Parkes through to the Port of Gladstone.

GreenLink Australia's Director and Chairman, Everald Compton, AO. Known as the founder and father of the Inland Railway.

For the past five years, GreenLink has been developing a proposal for a freight rail link between Goondiwindi and Gladstone, using the Inland Rail to connect this line back into the national network. But the news of Inland Rail stopping at Parkes killed the project.

Under the new proposal, Greenlink would complete the line, picking up where Inland Rail left off at Parkes and extending it to Gladstone.

What’s being proposed

The private model has been estimated to cost $15 billion and involves developing:

• Parkes through to Goondiwindi

• Extension through central Queensland to Gladstone

• Integration with existing Inland Rail infrastructure at North Star in northern NSW (as part of the broader network connection)

Compton says the project could be delivered at significantly lower cost than previous government estimates by relying on private capital, superannuation investment, and a leaner delivery model.

To encourage investors, Compton is seeking a prime government mandate that would allow the consortium to proceed without the risk of future political interference.

The outlook

For now, the Government’s position remains unchanged, and funding will not extend past Parkes.

However, the emergence of a privately funded northern extension means the original vision of a Melbourne-to-Queensland freight line is not entirely off the table and that the dream is far from over.