Major project · Inland Rail Pty Ltd, formerly part of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
Inland Rail
A freight railway from Melbourne to Brisbane. In May 2026 the government decided to finish construction between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales by the end of 2027, and to preserve the corridor north of Parkes.
- First published estimate
- $4.4bn Jul 2010
- Latest estimate
- $45.0bn May 2026
- Latest as a multiple of first
- 10.2× not like for like
- Expected completion
- 2036 at the earliest first stated as 2020 (operations assumed to start)
Every published estimate
Amounts are as published, in dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation. Each estimate links to its source and quotes the words containing the figure. How these are compiled.
| Date | Estimate | Covers | Completion | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2010 | $4.4bn | Melbourne to Brisbane, capital cost (P50), in 2010 dollars | 2020 (operations assumed to start) | Melbourne–Brisbane Inland Rail Alignment Study, Final Report, Australian Rail Track Corporation“The capital cost estimated to achieve this is $4.42 billion (P50)/$4.70 billion (P90).” |
| May 2016 | $9.9bn | Melbourne to Brisbane, capital cost (P50), nominal not like for like | 2025 | Inland Rail project business case evaluation summary, Infrastructure Australia“The P50 capital cost of the proposed solution is $9.9 billion in nominal terms.” |
| Apr 2023 | $16.4bn | Melbourne to Brisbane, total cost: ARTC’s 2020 estimate, first published in this review | The Delivery of Inland Rail: An Independent Review (Dr Kerry Schott AO), Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts“The estimated total cost of Inland Rail in 2020 was $16.4 billion.” | |
| Apr 2023 | $31.4bn | Melbourne to Brisbane, total cost: ARTC’s latest estimate, which the review said should not be accepted | 2030-31 | The Delivery of Inland Rail: An Independent Review (Dr Kerry Schott AO), Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts Video“The latest estimate of total project cost by ARTC is $31.4 billion.” |
| May 2026 | $45.0bn | Full Melbourne to Brisbane route, after independent cost assurance by ACIL Allen | 2036 at the earliest | Record investment in freight rail network and consolidating Inland Rail, Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure Video“the cost estimate now exceeds $45 billion to deliver the full Inland Rail project from Melbourne to Brisbane” |
Government funding in the 2026-27 Budget
- “Net other”: $7.0bn net paid out in 2026-27. This line combines the project with other amounts Treasury does not itemise, so the project’s share is not published.
The 2026-27 Budget counts ARTC’s equity in “Net other” for commercial sensitivity, and returns $4.4bn of equity to the Budget.
These are loans and equity, which are not counted as expenses. Loans and investments.
Related pages
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- AUSTRALIAN RAIL TRACK CORPORATION LIMITED (contracts as a supplier on AusTender)