According to an inquiry by the Australian Federal Government on the Inland Rail project, costs for the 1,700 km rail freight transport line have increased to around €18.9 billion (AU$31 billion). This is about double the budget of €10 billion set in 2021. Furthermore, costs may even increase further, as it is still unclear where exactly the line will start or finish. Another point of critique was that people had been assigned to the management of the project who, according to the government, lack the necessary level of competence.
