"The greatest deficiency in the rail network is on the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane corridor, where the government wants rail freight to be more competitive," Transport Minister Warren Truss said. The money will be handed to the Australian Rail Track Corp before the end of next month.
In other funding, the Government is giving the road transport sector some relief from soaring petrol prices by removing a planned increase in the heavy vehicle road user charge, with the rate remaining frozen at 19.6 cents a litre.
Key transport corridors which will benefit from big funding under the AusLink boost include the Pacific Highway in NSW, South Australia's Sturt Highway, Tasmania's East Tamar Highway and the Victoria Highway in the Northern Territory.
Local roads are also getting a boost, with the 2004-05 allocation for local councils collecting an immediate $307 million injection – double the usual allocation.
The money, to be paid by June 30, will allow councils to double road construction in the coming financial year.
Other measures in the transport budget include a $48 million package over four years to strengthen air cargo security, and an extra $5.4 milllion to subsidise air traffic control charges for regional airlines.
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