The Australian Government announced that Expressions of Interest were now open to design, build, finance and maintain the Gowrie to Kagaru (G2K) section of Inland Rail. This section is the major component and is the most technically complex of the entire Inland Rail programme and includes a 6.5km tunnel through the Toowoomba Range, which will be the largest diameter diesel freight tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere.

The railway includes approximately 130km of new dual gauge rail track, 11 passing loops and three rail tunnels near Toowoomba Range (approximately 6.4km), Little Liverpool Range (approximately 1.1km) and parts of the Scenic Rim (approximately 1km). It will cater to 1,800m trains. The private partner will also deliver a number of viaducts and bridges totalling around 12km, approximately 10 million cubic metres of cut to fill in earthworks and several road over rail grade separations and level crossings, as well as new roads and realignment of local roads. The project also includes performance of maintenance services over a maintenance phase of 15 to 30 years.

General information about the Project is available publicly through Part A of the EOI(Project Overview and Respondent Instructions). ARTC is using a Registration for EOI process to identify organisations with the requisite experience and capability to deliver the G2K PPP, which ARTC may invite to submit an EOI Response. Part B of the EOI (which includes ARTC's response requirements) will only be made available to parties invited to submit an EOI Response (Successful Registrants). The deadline for interested parties to provide their signed Confidentiality and Information Deed Polls by 3:00pm (AEST) on 5 April 2019. Part B will be made available from 8 April 2019.

The issuing of the PPP Request for Proposal for the shortlisted parties is scheduled for later this year once the Australian and Queensland governments have finalised a bilateral agreement for the delivery of Inland Rail. 

The PPP project will help address Australia’s current freight inefficiencies. Inland Rail will help capture commercial opportunities in both metropolitan and regional areas through more efficient and commercially responsive supply chains and enhance Australia’s ability to compete on the world market. Queensland will be the biggest beneficiary of Inland Rail with around $7.2 billion expected to flow into the state economy from Inland Rail.

Inland Rail Chief Executive Officer Richard Wankmuller says that “The PPP process will harness the private sector’s experience and innovation to deliver the world-class engineering solution required to conquer the Great Dividing Range. This is the type of challenge that excites multi-national contractors, investors and financiers. I am expecting international consortia will bid to have their name associated with this iconic project” and that “the EOI is a major step forward for a once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure project tackling the complexities of this challenging terrain. Modern technology will accomplish engineering marvels in this section of the Inland Rail and it’s time to begin the search for our partner to make this happen.”