Toowoomba Regional Council has thrown its 100 percent support behind today’s government announcement to proceed with the Border Railway as part of the national inland rail link.

Inland rail link mastermind Everald Compton this morning announced that approval had been given to proceed with the planning and design of the Moree to Toowoomba (Charlton) via Millmerran section of the railway line. Mr Compton was speaking at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Toowoomba.

Mayor Peter Taylor said council would do everything in its power to fast track the project in order to get this section of line built by 2014.

“There is an absolutely desperate need to get heavy freight off the road and on to rail as the huge development in our area continues.

“The safety of rail versus road for heavy freight movement is undeniable. This rail link would create additional capacity for cars on roads by transferring freight to steel rather than tar.”

Mayor Taylor said the railway construction would boost the operation of the Charlton\Wellcamp industrial area which is already well planned within council’s existing town plan.

“We are well prepared for this. The planned route connects to the proposed Toowoomba bypass route as well as some co-location of rail and road corridors in closer to the city.

“Rail offers increased efficiency and cheaper prices for consumers moving freight. In turn, this region would become more competitive in the future thereby attracting more new business.”

According to the website of railway construction company ATEC Limited, the project “will provide the vital missing link between approximately Moree [NSW] to Toowoomba [QLD] via the inland to allow for a standard gauge corridor linking the two states”.