at present the only route between Melbourne and Brisbane is through Sydney. An inland route has the potential to provide a rail freight option up to 7 hours faster and 170 kilometres shorter, making rail a more competitive transport option relative to road.The freight task and volume of container traffic is increasing substantially proportional to the overall growth rate of the economy Passenger rail is generally given priority over freight services in cities. Rail makes up a very small portion of passenger kilometres, but it has been growing faster than either passenger car or bus transport