The Wire

An additional $594 million was allocated to the Inland rail project in the budget, and today Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester and member for Parkes, Mark Coulton were all on site at the Auscott Ltd cotton plant in Narrabri to provide some more news about the rail line.  Mr Joyce revealed that both he and Mr Coulton had had some irate farmers on the phone, airing concerns about the whereabouts of a high-speed train tearing through their pastures.  Narrabri, Parkes and other towns on the route are all keen to get an “intermodal” freight transfer facility – who will get the guernsey?