Two Queensland freight companies have expressed opposing views on the use of fly-in, fly-out labour despite being involved on the same rail project.

QR National is a key player in Surat Basin Rail, a joint venture group formed to build a proposed 200 kilometre railway connecting coal mines in the Surat Basin with Gladstone port in central Queensland.

The company's James Moutafis has told the Major Projects Conference in Brisbane his firm prefers local workers.

"We are a company that doesn't do a lot of fly-in, fly-out," he said.

"We're working very closely with local communities."

But Allan Miller from Surat Basin Rail said his company would use mainly fly-in, fly-out labour during construction.

"There's no two ways about it," he said.

"We'll be looking at employing local people as much as we can ... but we will have a significant portion of fly-in, fly-out."

However Mr Miller said it will be critical for the visiting workers to blend in with the community.