Main West Rail Line Capacity Enhancement Program
Project overview
The Main West Rail Line forms part of an important passenger and freight network in NSW that extends through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.
The Main West Rail Line Capacity Enhancement Program provides targeted investment for rail infrastructure to ensure this critical route is ready to meet expected growth in the NSW regional freight task.
Background
The Main West Rail Line is essential to transporting goods between Central West communities, capital cities and the rest of the world.
The 825-kilometre corridor currently accommodates the freight movements of: containerised meat, cotton, grain and oil seed; steel and coal; bulk domestic grain and flour.
Freight volumes moved along the Main West Rail Line are forecast to grow from 8.84 million tonnes in 2021 to 11.5 million tonnes by 2056. Overall, rail freight will increase by 30% by 2056, highlighting the importance of the Main West Rail Line as a key freight corridor.
Benefits
Program benefits include:
- Moving freight more efficiently around NSW
- Increasing capacity and operational efficiency of the rail line
- Reducing the cost of getting goods to market
- Supporting jobs for local, regional workers
- Support a freight modal shift from road to rail.
Stages
Stage 1 and 2 of the Main West Rail Line Capacity Enhancement Program are now complete.
Stage 1
Under Stage 1, $21. 5 million funded the construction of two crossing loops at Georges Plains and Rydal that were delivered in 2019.
Stage 2
Under Stage 2, $43.4 million funded the construction of four crossing loops, delivered in 2021.
| Project Name | Funding Amount |
|---|---|
| Polona Crossing Loop | $7.9 million |
| Pinecliffe Crossing Loop | $12.6 million |
| Maryvale Crossing Loop | $13 million |
| Bumberry Crossing Loop | $9.8 million |
Future projects
As part of Stage 2 of the program, a further $2 million was allocated for the investigation of potential future projects on the Main West Rail Line.
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