At the heart of the crossroads where the Transcontinental Railway intersects the Newell Highway and the future Inland Rail, lies the strategically positioned regional centre of Parkes. Integral to the future of transport in Australia as the one place in the country where all logistical routes connect, Parkes National Logistics Hub is an area covering approximately 600ha, central to the Inland Rail, Australia’s key export markets, transport and logistical solutions for freight. 

Parkes is in a prime position to deliver logistical solutions and opportunities that will greatly benefit the Australian economy. Connecting Brisbane and Melbourne via the Newell Highway and eventually the Inland Rail, Sydney and Perth via the Transcontinental Railway and enabling these lines to connect to Darwin from Adelaide makes the Parkes National Logistics Hub the most strategically significant hub in Australia. It is the first point outside of Sydney where double stacking of trains is possible and accessibility for road trains is available. Operating 24/7, over 80% of the Australian population can be reached overnight from Parkes, enabling faster freight time from the centre of the nation’s transport network. 

All major cities in Australia can be accessed from Parkes via road or rail, with Sydney only a 45 minute flight away. While road-train access is available from the west only, all major routes are accessible by b-doubles. Rail connections to all major mainland ports stem from Parkes, creating new opportunities for the agricultural sector and a competitive advantage for Australian export markets with increased efficiencies, timeliness and flexibility set to see a rise in major investment opportunities.

Parkes furthers the connectivity that will be provided by the Inland Rail, extending the north to south connections by enabling freight movement east and west through the connection to the Transcontinental line. CEO of Inland Rail ARTC, Richard Wankmuller said “Parkes is critical to the success of Inland Rail. When Inland Rail’s complete, Parkes will be the natural interchange point for road to rail and rail to road for freight consolidation but also allows the opportunity for rail to rail consolidation because now you've got a national freight grid with common operations between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and all of the regional centres in between.” Parkes will have a critical role in the success of the new freight rail system addressing our greatest disadvantage - distance. 

Hanlons recent expansion into the Central West supports our ongoing presence in the area. Already providing service to keep rail works in the area moving, Hanlons are solving complex problems like in the case of the boundary and detail survey on the Parkes Railway Yard, for the Central West. Our team live and work regionally, understanding the challenges and opportunities present in the regions, showing up and getting the work done to avoid delays and pursue our passion of improving regional infrastructure. Expanding our locations and availability in more regions means we can provide local knowledge, mindsets and experience for these projects. We are excited to be part of the future of Parkes and the Central West and see the ongoing benefits these projects will bring. 

Are you looking for local expertise in the Central West? Hanlons have a guy in the region, so get in touch to keep your project moving without delay!