Inland Rail –
Narrabri to North Star (N2NS)

• Upgraded approximately 171km of track, formation and waterway crossings within the existing rail corridor.
• Improved the existing horizontal alignment with curve easing at various locations to provide the maximum operational efficiency.
• Constructed seven new bridges to accommodate double-stacked trains.
• Constructed five new crossing loops at Bobbiwaa, Waterloo Creek, Tycannah Creek, Coolleearllee and Murgo with associated maintenance sidings.
• Renewal / upgrade of existing turnouts on the main line to existing sidings and yards.
• Constructed approximately 235 rail culverts and 102 road culvert locations (with up to 10,000 culvert components installed).
• Two irrigation crossings and eight under-bridges to meet the 30 TAL structural load requirements.
• Upgraded, relocated or consolidated 75 level crossings (public, private and pedestrian) on the existing alignment to improve safety including 10 passive level crossings upgraded to active with bells, lights and boom gates.
• Upgraded several road and level crossing connections between the Newell Highway and local road networks.
• Utility relocations and impact mitigations at 470 locations.
• Ancillary works also including flood immunity works, improving stormwater and drainage, removal of existing assets, establishing or upgrading existing fencing of the rail corridor, landscape and landform rehabilitation and facilitating works.
• Installation and commissioning of all signalling works.

Trans4m Rail is committed to working with the ARTC (the Client) to generate and imbed initiatives and tangible actions to ensure ARTC’s Inland Rail social performance outcomes are maximised and the local economic benefit is spread across the entire alignment between Narrabri and North Star.

A major driver in Trans4m Rail being successfully awarded the N2NS Phase 1 package was our early engagement and meaningful relationships built with local landowners, Councils, Local Aboriginal Lands Councils, local community groups, local employment organisations including Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES), and other project stakeholders, prior to the tender being released.

Through our genuine understanding of the community’s drivers, concerns and challenges, we implemented our exclusive ‘Beyond the Track’ initiative, which is Trans4m Rail’s commitment to delivering a legacy beyond the construction works phase. Our aim is to leave a positive legacy which generates long term economic and socioeconomic benefits within communities with the development of skilled local and Indigenous workers.

This is evident when 673 local residents have worked on the project, 183 residents who identify as local and Indigenous have also worked on the project. More than $20.6million has been spent with Australian wide Indigenous businesses and Trans4m Rail can clearly demonstrate its commitment to spend locally with more than $228.7 million spent with 137 local businesses supplying to the project.

Furthermore, Trans4m Rail has provided $100,000 to assist community-based organisations to build vibrant, inclusive and healthy communities, raised and donated more than $35,000 to charitable organisations and volunteered more than 450 hours in the local communities.

The region’s seasonal grain and cotton harvesting takes places each year between November and March and the local farmers require a fully operational rail link between Moree and Narrabri during these times. As such, the project level schedule was undertaken against the following track possession arrangement:

• Mobilisation/Preliminary works – Quarter 1 2021
• Stage 2 (Penney’s Road, Bellata to Moree NSW) – Completed April through October 2021
• Stage 1 (Narrabri to Penney’s Road, Bellata NSW) – Completed April through November 2022
• Stage 3 (Camurra to North Star NSW) – In progress Quarter 2 2021 to Quarter 3 2023
• Completions – Quarter 3/4 2023.

Trans4m Rail is firmly committed to achieving an ‘Excellent’ ISC rating, realising sustainable outcomes for the N2NS Phase 1 project. Throughout project delivery, Trans4m Rail has strived to reduce its impact on the environment, support the community in which we work, and contribute to a sustainable local economy.

• Reduce the amount of vegetation to be cleared from an initial forecast of 890ha, to less than 200ha, helping to retain vital habitat for local wildlife and significantly reduce the projects carbon footprint.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% compared to the project base case, following reductions in vegetation clearance, use of renewable energy and other carbon reduction initiatives.
• Reduce potable water use by partnering with local landowners to utilise water from their dams, and implementing water reduction initiatives such as providing ground cover to exposed areas and reducing vegetation clearance to reduce the need for dust suppression – 88% of the project’s water use has come from non-potable sources.
• Reduce total water usage by 83% compared to the project base case.
• Reduction of fuel costs following a project study comparing the benefits of premium diesel over standard diesel.
• Provide excess materials such as spoil, pallets, redundant rail jewellery and wood chippings to landowners and community groups to reduce waste, whilst supporting the local community.