The Australian Government through Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is proposing to construct a 1,700km fast freight network to better link producers to markets and create new opportunities for businesses, industries and regional communities. 

Two of the thirteen sections of Inland Rail are proposed for the Scenic Rim Local Government Area as part of the freight rail network connecting Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.  

Projects of the rail line proposed for the Scenic Rim are:

• Calvert-to-Kagaru 

• Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton 

The two Inland Rail projects proposed for Scenic Rim are currently in different levels of the reference design stage. Learn more about the Inland Rail project stages.

Inland Rail are conducting various studies and consulting with landowners and other key stakeholders to finalise plans for the two projects proposed to be located in the Scenic Rim. 

Calvert to Kagaru 

The Calvert to Kagaru Inland Rail comprises 53km of new dual gauge rail line which diverts from the West Moreton rail line near Calvert and connects to the existing Sydney to Brisbane interstate rail line at Kagaru. This will provide convenient access for freight to major distribution centres at Bromelton and Acacia Ridge. Enhancements to the existing track will also support dual gauge operations.

Current progress

The Inland Rail team have been working with community and key stakeholders since 2017 seeking input into the Calvert to Kaguru draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Draft EIS now open for public comment/formal submission. 

The Coordinator-General has advised that the draft EIS is now open for public comment from Saturday 19 December 2020 to Monday 8 March 20201. In recognition of the busy Christmas/New Year period the Coordinator-General has extended the usual notification period from 28 days to 79 days.

How to view the Calvert to Kaguru draft EIS

There several ways you can view the Calvert to Kaguru draft EIS:

• View the draft EIS online.
• Visit one of the following locations to view the draft EIS on display:
  • Ipswich Library, Global Information Centre, 40 South Street, Ipswich.
  • Rosewood Library, 15 Railway Street, Rosewood.
  • Beaudesert Library, 58 Brisbane Street, Beaudesert.
  • State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane.
  • ARTC Inland Rail Gatton Office, Suite 5 & 6, 47 North Street Gatton.
• Attend an information session where Inland Rail staff will be on hand to assist the community in navigating the draft EIS content:

How to provide formal feedback on the Calvert to Kagaru draft EIS

Formal feedback on the Calvert to Kagaru draft EIS can be provided at www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/inlandrail-c2k. The closing date for public comment is Monday 8 March 2021.

The Have your say on a draft Environmental Impact Statement fact sheet (PDF 126KB) provides information on how to make a submission on the draft EIS.

What happens after the formal submission period ends?

The Coordinator-General will evaluate the draft EIS and submissions made by the public before deciding whether to accept the draft EIS as the final EIS for the Calvert to Kagaru project. The Coordinator-General will provide ARTC with the submissions received, and ARTC and will respond to the Coordinator-General through a submissions report.

Role of the Scenic Rim Community Committee 

The Scenic Rim Community Consultative Committee was established in December 2017 and has 13 members, plus the independent Chair. The Committee meet quarterly with the Inland Rail Project team to provide input and feedback into the Calvert to Kagaru project. Meeting dates and locations are posted on the Inland Rail website. Observers are welcome to register and attend the meetings.

Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton  

The Inland Rail Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton project consists of enhancements to the existing Brisbane to Sydney rail line.

There are about 13 kilometres of existing track to be enhanced along a 49km section, to enable double-stacked freight trains up to 1,800m in length to travel from Kagaru south to Bromelton, and north to Brisbane’s major intermodal terminal at Acacia Ridge.

This will involve:

• the lowering of the rail track under five road-over-rail bridges (Beaudesert Road, Learoyd Road, Johnson Road, Middle Road and Pub Lane), and
• construction of two new crossing loops at Larapinta (near Forestdale) and Kagaru (near Flagstone), and the extension of the existing crossing loops at Greenbank and Bromelton.

Current progress

The Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton project is nearing the completion of design and environmental investigations to gather information for the primary approvals document.

The project is currently at the reference design phase which includes environmental investigations before going into the detailed design phase. The project may be updated as a result of further field investigations, government approvals or during the detailed design. Learn more about the Inland Rail project stages.

The Inland Rail team are talking to community members about the preliminary results of the environmental investigations and what it means to them, and will continue to seek feedback and inform community of any changes.

How to provide feedback on Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton:

• Leave a comment on the Kaguru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton Inland Rail interactive map.
• Register to attend a Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton Community Consultative Committee meeting.

Opportunities for business and community

Visit the Inland Rail Opportunities page to find out about business opportunities, workshops, scholarships and community funding. 

Looking for more information or have questions about Inland Rail?

Visit the website inlandrail.com.au, phone 1800 732 761 or email inlandrailqld@artc.com.au.