Inland Rail environmental impact statement outlines plans for new track between Illabo to Stockinbingal

The $14.5 billion Inland Rail project, delivered by the federal government's Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), is designed to improve rail freight speeds and weight limits between Brisbane and Melbourne.

ARTC has already released its EIS for the Albury to Illabo section, which includes the track through the middle of Wagga.

The new EIS outlines a proposal for 39 kilometres of new single-track railway to accommodate double-stacked freight trains up to 1800 metres long, including a crossing loop and maintenance siding of around 2.2 kilometres long.

The EIS forecast an average of six trains per day from late 2026 increasing to about 11 trains per day by 2040.

The EIS found five residential sites where noise levels from passing locomotives exceed the NSW EPA night-time criteria by up to 3 decibels.

Stockinbingal Public School and St. Joseph's Catholic Church would experience an exceedance of one decibel and two decibels above the internal noise criteria.

An ARTC spokesperson said the corporation was working hard on mitigating operational noise impacts on residents.

"The noise modelling undertaken during the reference design and presented in the EIS will continue to be refined during the following detailed design stage," the spokesperson said.

"Where the current predictions indicate exceedance of criteria, ARTC has already begun to engage on an ongoing basis with the sensitive receiver [site].

"Appropriate mitigation will be determined during detailed design."

The Illabo and Stockinbingal section will require the permanent acquisition of 476.4 hectares of private land from 26 private landholders.

Bethungra landowners said they are concerned that they will not get fair compensation when their farm is compulsorily acquired for the Inland Rail project.

"ARTC is consulting and working with impacted landholders to ensure a respectful and open process and we act in accordance with legislation that is designed to provide a fair and equitable outcome," the ARTC spokesperson said.

"We ensure that landowners are at the centre of negotiations and that dedicated acquisition support is available to landowners during this sensitive period."

The spokesperson said the proposed works for Illabo to Stockinbingal included the removal of the level crossing at Burley Griffin Way, which would improve road safety and traffic delays.

The EIS will be open for submissions until October 26 and is available online at www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects.

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