General News
7 May, 2026
Inland Rail issues statement after government cuts funding
Inland Rail says it is "committed to successfully completing all sections of the project from Beveridge to Parkes by 2027".
Following on from the Australian Government announcement yesterday on Inland Rail’s future funding, Inland Rail remains committed to successfully completing all sections of the project from Beveridge to Parkes by 2027.
Inland Rail has been focusing our construction activities on the Beveridge to Parkes section of the project since a staged approach to delivery was recommended by the independent review into Inland Rail in April 2023 and has made substantial progress towards delivery.
The Government also confirmed that it is focused on working with the Queensland and New South Wales Governments to preserve the rail corridor north of Parkes. We are working through the details of this currently with the Federal Government.
This hugely important work will be led by our new permanently appointed Chair of the Board, Dr Collette Burke, and by our incoming Chief Executive Officer Dr Sean Sweeney, who will begin with Inland Rail on July 1, 2026.
Dr Sweeney has substantial experience in delivering major infrastructure projects, including serving as Program Director at the MetroLink project in Dublin and as the Chief Executive Officer of Auckland’s City Rail Link, and was appointed following a global executive search.
Dr Collette Burke, Chair of Board of Inland Rail said “Seeing the leadership of this talented team through the next critical stages of project delivery will be a personal career highlight, and I look forward to working closely with our project partners and key stakeholders to deliver on our commitments.”
