<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Chair of the governmentâs Inland Rail Implementation Group and former deputy prime minister John Anderson says a recent meeting held with industry stakeholders has given the implementation group a lot to work with. </span> <p>Freight forwarders, rail operators, peak bodies, state government agencies and local councils met in Sydney on October 17 to help finalise the service offering for the Inland Rail freight project.<br /><br />The proposed Inland Rail line will connect Brisbane to Melbourne via regional south east Queensland, inland New South Wales and rural Victoria.<br /><br />Anderson late last week explained the service offering details what Inland Rail will deliver – a road-competitive service based on transit time, price and reliability, intended to prompt freight forwarders to take more Melbourne to Brisbane freight off the road and put it on rail.<br /><br />“The Implementation Group, which had its latest meeting on October 24, welcomed the feedback from the logistics industry,” Anderson said.<br /><br />“The service offering is a key part of the information that will be provided to the Australian Government in December to enable them to make further investment decisions. Having Australia’s major freight forwarders and rail users on board is critical to the success of the programme.<br /><br />“The rail operators and service providers present at the forum gave valuable insights into additional services that they might use, such as a premium express service from Melbourne to Brisbane for time sensitive freight.”<br /><br />Anderson stressed the importance of an efficient, reliable rail freight link between Melbourne and Brisbane for Australia’s economic competitiveness.<br /><br />“Investment in transport infrastructure is critical to reducing our cost base and making our industries more competitive,” he said.<br /><br />“Inland Rail will deliver modern infrastructure that reduces the cost of congestion in our cities, invigorates our regions and connects our farms and mines to export ports. Inland Rail will also play an important role in enabling the efficient movement of manufactured goods between capital cities.<br /><br />“By making the Inland Rail a priority now, we are putting in place an alternative freight route that will be able to meet the future demands of moving freight along the east coast.”</p>
