A rail group said the Melbourne-Brisbane freight rail route should go though the Goulburn Valley, instead of Albury, to enable faster services.
Following the Victorian Government’s recent announcement to standardise the state’s north-east passenger rail track, the industry is predicting the Melbourne-Brisbane inland rail corridor link would go through Albury, not the Goulburn Valley.
With the Federal Government’s decision on the route to be made within a year, Bruce Wilson from the Foodbowl Rail Alliance said a link through the Goulburn Valley would be a better solution for alleviating freight bottlenecks.
“Basically, we’re talking about a fast-freight service, no stations, no level crossings, a bit like a freeway all the way up to Brisbane without stops in the middle,” Mr Wilson told the ABC.
The Goulburn Valley industry has been anticipating the construction of the rail corridor, with a 331 ha freight and logistics centre featuring an intermodal terminal and general freight area proposed by the Greater Shepparton City Council.
Along with support from the Victorian Freight and Logistics Council, the project received $3 million in funding from the Federal Government.