Major construction work on the local section of the Inland Rail began on the weekend.
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After years of planning and design, the first works on the Stockinbingal to Parkes section of the nation's largest freight rail infrastructure project have started at Daroobalgie.
Inland Rail marked the occasion with a launch event at Forbes Railway Station and Rebecca Pickering, Interim Chief Executive Inland Rail, said it was a key milestone.
"The start of works on the Stockinbingal to Parkes section is a key milestone for Inland Rail, highlighting that we are getting on with the job of completing Beveridge in Victoria to Parkes in New South Wales by 2027," she said.
"We will continue to engage strongly with local suppliers and businesses across regional New South Wales and are very excited about the benefits that we can bring to local economies as we deliver these works."
Martinus Rail has been awarded a $403.5 million contract to design and construct enhancement works on the Stockinbingal to Parkes as well as Albury to Illabo sections of Inland Rail.
Locally, the Stockinbingal to Parkes works will include bridge upgrades and track lowering in Forbes to create the required height and width clearances for double stacked trains, with an additional crossing loop to be constructed at Daroobalgie.
Martinus Project Director Gavin Murphy said it would all begin with the replacement of two culverts under tracks at Daroobalgie.
The works were fast-tracked to take advantage of a 60-hour window on the weekend where trains weren't running due to routine maintenance.
At Caragabal and Bribbaree, they used the closure to work on track slews - realignment to create the required space between tracks.
Melvyn Maylin, Inland Rail Director Program Delivery, Albury to Parkes, thanked and congratulated all those involved in the planning and design process over the past couple of years.
The Stockinbingal to Parkes project was recognised with an "excellent" rating by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
"It's exciting to see something happening and it's a great opportunity to move it forward," he said.
"The Inland Rail review prioritised construction south of Parkes, and these works are very much part of that."
Work south of Parkes will help Inland Rail connect Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and the Illawarra via Parkes and Narromine, he said.
"There's a lot of benefits in that both during construction and post construction for central NSW."
Inland Rail has already completed the Parkes to Narromine section with major construction works also underway on the Beveridge to Albury section in Victoria.
Treaven Martinus, CEO and Managing Director Martinus Rail, said the company was proud to play its part to enhance this vital infrastructure.
"The commencement of work marks a significant stride towards a more connected and prosperous future for Australia's freight industry," he said.
"Our dedicated team is committed to delivering these crucial infrastructure upgrades, safely, efficiently and to the highest standards."
