The project will upgrade roughly 77km of track between Carnamah and Mingenew. Credit: Denley Photography via Unsplash.

The Western Australian (WA) Government has announced that detailed planning for upgrades to the freight rail on the Midland Line, particularly the Carnamah to Mingenew section, will commence later this year.  

Under a funding agreement in principle with Arc Infrastructure, the country’s state and federal governments will allocate up to a combined A$45m ($30.74m) towards the upgrades from the A$200m Agriculture Supply Chain Improvement (ACSI) Programme.  

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Arc Infrastructure will contribute an additional A$22m to the project. 

The project will upgrade approximately 77km of track between Carnamah and Mingenew, increasing the axle loading capacity from 16 to 19 tonnes (t).  

This will allow trains to transport 25% more grain per trip, providing immediate operational benefits to CBH grain growers.  

The upgrades will include the replacement of all timber sleepers with a concrete/steel pattern and the renewal of rail infrastructure to support the heavier loads.  

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Construction is expected to start next year and be completed by 2026. 

The Midland Line transports more than 500,000t to the state’s port in Geraldton annually.  

The planned upgrade is part of the joint commonwealth and state ACSI programme. 

It is aimed at optimising supply chain efficiencies, improving road safety and community amenities, and increasing the volume of grain transported by rail in WA’s agricultural regions. 

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said: “The in-principle funding agreement for the Midland Line upgrade is another welcome milestone for the ASCI Programme. The revitalisation of the rail line between Carnamah and Mingenew will allow around 25% more grain per train to be transported on rail to Geraldton Port.  

“Being able to transport more grain by rail to Geraldton means less grain on road, and that is an important road safety outcome for the region. It’s fantastic to see this project moving forward as it will increase our grain on rail capacity and help strengthen our supply chains in key agricultural regions.” 

Several projects within the ASCI Programme have already been completed or are in progress, including major upgrades to various rail sidings across WA.