General
30 April, 2026
Possible Inland Rail Design Refinements at Yelarbon
Inland Rail is investigating the feasibility of design refinements at several locations along the NSW/Qld Border to Gowrie section, including at Yelarbon.
These investigations are possible due to updates to the design standards since the revised reference design was finalised for assessment in 2023. The investigations also provide an opportunity for Inland Rail to further improve the design in response to community feedback.
The potential design refinements aim to reduce the amount of land required for the project, improve safety at road-rail interfaces and minimise impacts to the community, including noise, vibration, earthworks, truck movements and visual amenity.
The design refinements presented (This page) are indicative only and are being shared now to inform the community of the opportunities potentially available to refine the revised reference design.
Inland Rail will report back to the community on potential design refinements once design investigations are complete. After the Coordinator-General approves the revised draft EIS and revised reference design, any feasible design refinements adopted by Inland Rail must go through the Co-Ordinator-General’s project change process and, if required, the Australian Government’s EPBC Act variation process.
In relation to Yelarbon, Inland Rail is investigating a design refinement to bypass the Yelarbon township which will offer significant safety improvements and reduced noise and visual impacts.
The proposed alignment is to be located approximately 100–200m north of the existing track. A new rail-over-road bridge will replace, and remove, the current Cunningham Highway level crossing. Noise walls will be installed at track level to reduce rail noise impacts on nearby residents.
These refinements will reduce township impacts away from homes and community facilities, preserve the visual amenity of the silo artwork, remove the complex Cunningham Highway road design with a rail-over-road bridge, improve road safety and enhance traffic flow, have minimal road disruption with local access maintained and no major realignments, improve cross-town pedestrian connectivity and maintain the existing stock route and connectivity underneath the rail bridge.
Read More: Yelarbon