The federal government's planned Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail line has come under heavy fire from Labor for a major delay ahead of an event to promote the project.
Opposition infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese said farming communities had not been properly consulted about the route of the inland rail line.
"Eight hundred and twenty-seven days have passed since the coalition's promised start date, which it committed to via a media release during the 2013 election campaign," he said in a statement on Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will visit the NSW town of Parkes on Thursday to turn the first sod on the $9.3 billion project.
A long-time promoter of the rail line, Everald Compton, says the ceremony is "odd" considering a first sod event took place in 2001. Mr Compton noted there was a large stone and plaque in place to commemorate the event.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the "corridor of commerce" would provide new investment and export opportunities opened up by free trade agreements.
"Inland Rail will connect rural and regional Australia to millions of customers at home and overseas through key domestic and rapidly expanding international markets," he said.
"It will also drive significant investment in the communities themselves through the creation of around 16,000 direct and indirect jobs, and a $16 billion contribution to the national economy."
The Parkes-to-Narromine section, which is expected to create around 200 jobs, is one of 13 projects forming the 1700km Inland Rail line.
Inland Rail is the largest freight rail infrastructure project in Australia, with the aim of operating in 2024/25.
Construction will begin in Parkes and progress north, with the project expected to be finished by mid-2020.
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