Crucial north-south rail freight infrastructure aids efficiency
The North Strathfield Rail Underpass is officially open for business.
Infrastructure minister Warren Truss says the $400 million investment in the NSW rail network would provide a key benefit to freight movers.
“This section of rail forms a key transport link between Brisbane and Melbourne, and with approximately 15 per cent of interstate freight being moved by rail, investing in this project makes good economic sense,” Truss adds.
“[It] will allow goods to get to domestic and international markets in a faster and more reliable manner, improving Australia’s competitiveness in the process.”
The underpass – part of the wider Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project – further separates goods and passenger rail networks in inner Sydney.
NSW infrastructure minister Andrew Constance says the corridor will play an important role in the continuing growth of Sydney.
“Within the next 15 years, more than 200,000 yearly heavy vehicle road trips will be removed from local roads,” he says.
“It will also have slashed greenhouse gas emissions and reduced the use of diesel fuel by almost 40 million litres each year.”
The underpass was jointly funded by the federal and NSW governments, with $316 million and $84 million contributed respectively.