The Opposition has renewed its call to accelerate progress on the Inland Rail sections between Narromine and North Star after site investigations kicked off in November around Narromine and Gilgandra.

Federal Nationals MPs Mark Coulton and Bridget McKenzie met with Narromine mayor Ewen Jones last week to discuss the project, which has suffered delays and funding uncertainty.

Mr Coulton, the Member for Parkes, said he wants it completed "as soon as possible."

“I know local contractors and businesses who invested in equipment to take advantage of the construction boom are now having to sell up and get jobs elsewhere just to make ends meet since the work has effectively dried up in my electorate," Mr Coulton said.

“Rail brings wealth to a community. When completed, the Inland Rail will connect towns like Narromine and Moree to every capital city in Australia and every port.

“The sooner this project gets back on track, the sooner communities in the Parkes electorate can reap the rewards.”

The Inland Rail is a 1600-kilometre freight line that will connect Brisbane and Melbourne via rural NSW. Parts of the line are already completed. IMAGE: Australian Rail Track Corporation

Inland Rail CEO Nick Miller met with local government representatives along the Narromine to Narrabri section this month to provide a progress update.

Crews last month took soil and rock samples at potential burrow pit sites in Narromine, which would be used as small quarries to source construction material.

A laboratory in Dubbo will test the samples from each site to determine their suitability, according to an update made on 13 December by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

Crews also began probing soil erosion in flood-prone areas near Gilgandra in November, although it was hampered by heavy rain, which put on hold the remaining 2024 schedule.

Work continued this year despite a Senate Estimates hearing in February revealing that the Federal Government had not allocated further funding for the project north of Parkes.

An independent review by Dr Kerry Schott, published in January 2023, also found the project was over budget and behind schedule.

“In line with the recommendations of the review, the Government is taking a staged approach to the delivery of the project, to ensure it actually gets delivered," a spokesperson said for Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King.

“North of Parkes, work is underway to obtain the required environmental and planning approvals and acquire the land needed to deliver the project. This will assist in providing more certainty that the project can be built to an agreed budget and timeframe," Ms King said.

“Inland Rail remains an important national project to meet Australia’s growing freight task, improve road safety and help decarbonise our economy, and the Australian Government is taking the steps needed to get its delivery arrangements right."