The Beveridge to Albury section of the Inland Rail project is the only section traversing Victoria. The project comprises the upgrade of existing structures along 262 kilometres of existing rail corridor – the North East Rail Line (NERL) – between Beveridge and the Victoria-NSW border at Albury, to enable the operation of double-stacked freight trains.
This project comprises enhancements of 12 sites along the North East Rail Line, with works including:
- track lowering
- replacing existing bridges with taller ones
- removing footbridges
- building a pedestrian underpass
- track slews
- relocating or raising signal gantries, and
- modifying or relocating overhead power poles.
The project has been split into two tranches.
Tranche One includes upgrades at the following sites:
- Murray Valley Highway, Barnawartha North
- Wangaratta Station Precinct, Wangaratta
- Beaconsfield Parade bridge, Glenrowan, and
- Seymour-Avenel Road bridge, Seymour.
Tranche Two includes upgrades at the following sites:
- Broadford-Wandong Road bridge, Wandong
- Hamilton Street bridge, Broadford
- Short Street bridge, Broadford
- Marchbanks Road bridge, Broadford
- Hume Highway bridge, Tallarook
- Hume Highway bridge, Seymour
- Anderson Street bridge, Euroa, and
- Benalla Station Approach Road, Benalla.
This project originally included a section that would span from Beveridge to Tottenham in metropolitan Melbourne. However, following the Independent Review into the delivery of Inland Rail, this section was placed on hold and Beveridge was chosen as the site for a new Intermodal Freight Terminal. The new terminal is a complementary development to Inland Rail, funded and delivered externally to the ARTC.
This project development has been undertaken with consideration to the separate $235 million North East Line Upgrade, undertaken by ARTC through the Victorian Government's Regional Rail Revival program. ARTC shares the rail corridor with V/Line passenger train operations, the Sydney-Melbourne XPT and suburban Melbourne trains.
Key Dates
| Jun 2020 | EOIs Open |
| Jul 2020 | EOIs Close |
| Oct 2022 | Contract Award: Tranche One |
| Mar 2023 | Construction Commencement |
| Jun 2024 | Contract Award: Tranche Two |
| 2025 | Expected Construction Commencement: Tranche Two |
| 2025 | Expected Construction Completion: Tranche One |
| 2027 | Expected Construction Completion: Tranche Two |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) |
| Shortlist: | Tranche Two: CPB Contractors, John Holland and McConnell Dowell |
| Successful Tenderer: | Tranche One: McConnell Dowell Tranche Two: John Holland |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Mar 2018 | The Victorian and Federal Governments signed a bilateral agreement for the project, which includes commitments to negotiate a new long-term lease with ARTC, and for the Victorian Government to accommodate any changes to the NERL required for Inland Rail. |
| Jun 2020 | The ARTC opened Expressions of Interest for Stage One main works of the project. With EOIs closing on 13 July 2020, the procurement aims to shortlist dual Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contractors by August 2020, and select a Design and Construct contractor by early 2021. |
| Aug 2020 | The Victorian Minister for Planning confirmed the project does not require assessment through an Environment Effects Statement (EES). The ARTC was required to follow conditions including the completion and acceptance of an environment report and environmental management framework, in consultation with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). |
| Oct 2022 | McConnell Dowell was awarded the contract for Stage One of T2A works, with an estimated contract value of $200 million. Work was expected to be completed by 2025. |
| Jan 2023 | The Independent Review of the delivery of Inland Rail was released, recommending that an intermodal terminal be constructed at Beveridge and that Stage Two of the project, south of Beveridge, no longer needed to be undertaken. |
| Apr 2023 | The Federal Government released its response to the Independent Review, accepting the recommendation to develop a new intermodal terminal at Beveridge and not to pursue the South of Beveridge sections of the original Tottenham to Albury scope. |
| Aug 2023 | Inland Rail shortlisted CPB Contractors, John Holland and McConnell Dowell to deliver Tranche Two of the Beveridge to Albury section. The preferred contractor will be announced mid-2024, with works commencing by 2025. |
| Nov 2023 | Designs were released for the new Euroa station were released for public consultation, closing in December. The proposed designs include a vehicle underpass to replace the Anderson Street Bridge. |
| Mar 2024 | The Victorian Government announced the opening of the new Beaconsfield Parade bridge in Glenrowan, enabling greater clearance for double-stacked freight trains below. |
| Apr 2024 | John Holland was awarded the early works contract for Tranche Two, including design and preparatory works at Benalla, Euroa, Wandong, Hume Freeway – Tallarook and Seymour, and three sites in Broadford on the existing North East Rail Line. |
| Jun 2024 | John Holland was awarded the $470 million main works contract for Tranche Two. |
