Wimmera councils will join an advocacy campaign to retain two regional rail link crossovers – key to Victoria’s rail-freight network – at Sunshine station.
A Sunshine Superhub is being built as part of Victoria’s Big Build projects, with connecting works for the Melbourne Airport Rail project, but the Rail Freight Alliance, RFA, has raised concerns with member councils about the proposed removal of two rail crossovers.
The crossovers provide an interconnection for freight lines servicing northern Victoria and the Port of Melbourne, with the RFA concerned their removal would lead to increased congestion and delays in travel time for rail freight to the port.
The delays could lead to increased costs for freight movement, and potentially encourage greater use of road transport for freight, having a negative impact on road safety, road longevity, amenity and emissions.
Horsham Rural City Council agreed at last week’s meeting to write to relevant ministers and politicians asking them to retain the crossovers.
Cr Cameron McDonald, Horsham’s delegate to the RFA, said the current arrangement worked well and did not need changing.
“What the Rail Freight Alliance is pointing out is that if the State Government does stupidly really remove the rail crossovers, it’s going to create extra cost, time and distance for most rail freight trains, and it will add to congestion on the actual lines,” he said.
“This is just the beginning really, of a whole range of issues – but this is a doozy – and it hasn’t actually been thought-out very well at all by the State Government. We need to get as much freight off roads and onto trains as we possibly can.
“This more efficient movement of trains throughout the state is going to be red hot on the agenda.”
At last week’s Yarriambiack Shire Council meeting, councillors passed a motion to write to all Victorian MPs, including Premier Jacinta Allan, to raise their concerns regarding the removal of the Sunshine regional rail link crossovers.
Cr Karly Kirk said rail freight would primarily be diverted onto the Geelong-Werribee line, adding 47 kilometres for rail travel.
“On the surface, it doesn’t seem very much, but in train terms, it’s additional time, staffing, fuel, all the things that make the train run,” she said.
“The removal of these crossovers would have a detrimental impact on rail freight in Victoria, increasing rail costs and driving more freight to road.”
Cr Kirk said a fit-for-purpose system was needed.
“By 2050, the freight task is predicted to triple, and by 2030, Melbourne is forecast to be the biggest city in Australia,” she said.
“The challenge of moving this freight throughout Victoria, whilst keeping people safe, keeping within designated emissions and providing a liveable state, will be a challenge over the next decades.
“High-productivity freight vehicles in Victoria are predicted to increase – Victoria needs a fit-for-purpose rail freight system. An efficient rail system with complementary infrastructure is vital for Victoria and Australia’s economic prosperity.”
Cr Corinne Heintze said the superhub seemed contradictory to the government’s freight plan.
“Last year, the state came up with a five-year freight plan, from the years 2025-30, called Victoria Delivers, which sets out clear priorities for growth in rail freight, which will lead to improved road safety and less congestion,” she said.
“But at the same time, the state wishes to remove the regional line crossovers. This is quite contradictory to what the 2025-30 freight plan is aiming to achieve.”
Works are expected to begin this year and be completed in 2030.
