Recent Release | 22 Dec 2022

Australian Rail Market Outlook

Construction Consulting Team

BIS Oxford Economics was commissioned by the Australian Railway Association to examine the outlook for Australia’s railway construction and maintenance work for the next 10 years and presents the key drivers of activity at a national and state level.

Over the decade to 2032, Australia’s population is projected to increase by 3.8 million to just under 30 million people – this is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.4%. In order to support this relatively strong growth in population and related passenger and freight tasks – as well as helping meet Australia’s climate change objectives – further major investment in Australia’s railway network is required. As such a number of key projects shape the forecast for construction activity.

The forecast for railway construction activity over the short to medium term is driven by a strong, funded pipeline spanning heavy haul, freight and passenger projects. A positive longer-term outlook is driven by population growth; urban expansion; and environmental concerns, particularly the need to reduce carbon emissions in Australia’s transport sector to help meet critical climate targets.

Read the report

About the team

Our Macro Consulting team are world leaders in quantitative economic analysis, working with clients around the globe and across sectors to build models, forecast markets and evaluate interventions using state-of-the art techniques. Lead consultants on this project were: