Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited
ARTC
February 1998 – present
Commonwealth-owned company that manages and maintains the interstate standard-gauge rail network and the Hunter Valley coal network, sells track access to train operators, and has been responsible for building the Inland Rail freight line between Melbourne and Brisbane.
How it came into existence
Incorporated in February 1998 following a 1997 Commonwealth–state agreement to create a single manager of the interstate rail network; it began operating on 1 July 1998, taking over the interstate standard-gauge track previously managed by Australian National and access arrangements for interstate track owned by the states.
Changes during its life
- September 2004Took over the New South Wales interstate rail network and the Hunter Valley coal network under a 60-year lease from the New South Wales Government.
- 2024Inland Rail was moved into a separate wholly owned ARTC subsidiary with its own board, following the 2023 independent review of the project.
- Interstate standard-gauge track management
- Interstate track access
Main functions
- Management and maintenance of the interstate standard-gauge rail network
- Sale of track access to freight and passenger train operators
- Train control and network scheduling
- Management of the Hunter Valley coal network
- Delivery of the Inland Rail project
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
- Type of body
- Commonwealth company, limited by shares
- Portfolio
- Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- Accountable authority
- Board
- ABN
- 75 081 455 754
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to the latest release (30 June 2026))