As the ambitious Inland Rail project chugs along, Inland Rail's over-arching body, Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has provided their latest update.

News includes the progress in developing management plans around the NSW Government's conditions of approval - this means looking into cultural heritage field surveys, ecology field surveys, water and air monitoring and construction water investigations.

 According to Inland Rail, their engineers and ecologists will accompany crews from GI contractor Macquarie Geotech to locations along the Inland Rail project alignment in the greenfield section.

Work will include clearing of isolated areas to access geotechnical investigation locations and ground condition investigations. Investigation locations may change but will be undertaken within the approved project boundary of the Narromine to Narrabri project and within private property.

Western Plains App has previously reported on the dissatisfaction of landholders on the Narromine to Narrabri section of the Inland Rail, mainly due to lack of information.

Narromine Mayor, Craig Davies, said it is still a slow process but there are positives.

"Recently, there has been a far better approach around purchasing of land in the local area," he said.

New mobile towers

 Two new mobile network towers are bringing better coverage and more reliable service to communities in the Narromine and Warrumbungle shires.

Funded by Inland Rail, the 50-metre towers will facilitate train system connectivity once Inland Rail is operational and improve community coverage.

Mobile users should see improved service quality near Kickabil, from the tower on Cobboco Road, close to Collie Road. The second tower, near Mount Tenandra on Box Ridge Road near National Park Road, should also deliver better depth of coverage and performance for the area.

As the mobile telecommunication enhancements are rolled out along the Inland Rail alignment, Telstra will manage ongoing operations and maintenance.

Mayor Davies was positive about overall progress for the project.

"While we are a little bit disappointed things are taking so long, the reality is this is the largest infrastructure project in inland Australia," Mr Davies said. "I'm confident with the reassurances from ministers that everything remains on track.

Mr Davies said, while the project is currently focussing on the southern areas with construction kicking off between Parkes and Stockinbingal, progress, though slow, will come to the local area.