<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Infrastructure Australia (IA) has backed the vision for an integrated multimodal transport corridor between the port of Newcastle, Warwick in northern New South Wales and the port of Brisbane. </span> <p>By Jennifer Perry</p><p>The Trans Regional Amalgamated Infrastructure Network (TRAIN) project has already won the support of 13 local governments and state and federal politicians over the last five years, and now IA has identified an immediate five step action plan to push forward development planning for the project.</p><p>The move follows a meeting between three Queensland and NSW councils, private investors, NSW Government and industry representatives and IA’s chief executive Michael Deegan last week.</p><p>Leading the development of TRAIN is Nation Building Australia’s Dave Cooke who said the project seeks to take a coordinated approach to upgrading key infrastructure and enhancing interstate rail and road freight links across areas in northern NSW and southern Queensland.</p><p>Currently, regional products including timber, grain, meat and other raw materials from areas such as Casino, Kyogle and the Southern Downs have to rely on poor infrastructure to get to domestic markets or ports for export.</p><p>Cooke said the inland freight route running from Coffs Harbour, through the Northern Rivers in NSW, and across the Queensland border into the proposed multimodal port at Bromelton and onto the port of Brisbane will be a more attractive proposition for heavy transport companies as well as taking the pressure of the congested Pacific Highway.</p><p>The project involves the progressive upgrade of the Summerland Way, a second bridge crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton, a bypass at Casino and Kyogle, an east of Mount Lindesay deviation, an upgrade of the Mount Lindesay Highway between Woodenbong and Killarney and the construction of the Cunningham rail link connecting Warwick and Bromelton.</p><p>Enhancing interstate rail and road freight links will also help manage population growth in one of the fastest growing areas of Australia.</p><p>There is expected to be an extra 400,000 plus residents across 14 local government areas in northern NSW and southeast Queensland over the next 20-25 years.</p><p>“TRAIN is not just a freight corridor we are looking at. It’s also a development and service corridor,” Cooke said.</p><p>The project made it to IA’s infrastructure priority list in June this year and consultation between IA, representatives from local, state and federal governments and industry leaders will roll out in the beginning of February 2011.<br /> </p>
