The rail freight news in Australia over the past 14 days (approximately October 13 – October 27, 2025) has been dominated by significant national policy decisions and new project developments aimed at modernising and expanding the network.
Key developments include:
National Policy and Governance
- Digital Signalling Alignment: Australia’s infrastructure and transport ministers made a significant decision to align digital signalling technology across the major connected freight and passenger network (National Network for Interoperability).1 This move, described as a “turning point,” aims to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance safety by allowing freight trains to move seamlessly between different operators’ networks using a consistent signalling system (specifically ETCS Level 2).2
- Strengthened Governance: Ministers agreed to strengthen the role of the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) to drive a strategic and coordinated national approach to standards adoption, moving away from the current voluntary system.3
- Accelerated Rolling Stock Approvals: A push was made for a nationwide approach to rolling stock approvals so that a train only needs to go through one approval process to be accepted on every major railway.4
Major Projects and Maintenance
- Inland Rail Updates:
- Construction on the $16.5 billion Melbourne-to-Brisbane Inland Rail project continues.
- Workforce accommodation sites for the Illabo to Stockinbingal section in NSW were nearing completion, with workers moving in.5
- The project is progressing with the Victorian sections (including works at Euroa and Benalla) on track for completion in 2027.6
- Western Australia Freight Rail Upgrades: A tender (Request for Proposals) was released for the definition phase of key freight rail upgrades in Western Australia, including new rail connections into the future Kwinana container port, duplication of track between Kwinana and Cockburn, and the removal of the North Lake Road level crossing.7 These are critical components of the Westport Program, aimed at significantly shifting container transport from road to rail.8
- Queensland Maintenance: A million-dollar maintenance makeover was completed on the North Coast Line between Townsville and Cairns, involving sleeper replacement, timber bridge repairs, and track maintenance to safeguard the reliability of the line for both freight (containerised, livestock, and sugar) and passenger services.9